When Fear Shows Up Again
By now, you might expect fear to just disappear. But it doesn’t work that way. Notice that King David doesn’t say if I am afraid. He says, “when.”
When Fear Shows Up Again
John 4:18
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear…”
Some fears don’t come from what’s around us. They come from what we quietly believe about God. That’s not what we would say out loud but it’s what we feel underneath it all. We fear that He’s disappointed. That maybe, somehow, we’re not the same with Him.
That belief makes sense because if God is unpredictable—if His love is uncertain and His posture toward you changes based on how well you’re doing—then of course there will always be something to fear.
But that’s not who He is. John wrote that “There is no fear in love.” That doesn’t mean fear never shows up. It means fear doesn’t belong where the cross is present. The cross brought an end to fear for the believer.
Fear is rooted in punishment and uncertainty. But God’s love isn’t fragile like that. It’s steady—rooted in who He is—not in how you’re doing.
When that begins to settle in, fear starts to loosen its grip. So, what do we do when fear shows up again?
Psalms 56:3
“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.”
By now, you might expect fear to just disappear. But it doesn’t work that way. Notice that King David doesn’t say if I am afraid. He says, “when.”
Fear still comes. Even after everything we’ve learned—after moments of clarity and peace—even for the believer who has trusted God before, it shows up again.
But now you know what to do with it.
“When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.”
That’s a choice. Fear rises … and instead of letting it lead, you answer it.
Not with denial. Not with pretending. But with truth. Trust doesn’t require full understanding. It just requires turning your attention back to God… again and again. Sometimes that’s all faith looks like.
Tomorrow—a different way to live.
