Fear Can Develop our Faith and Character

God can use the moments we have stress and fear to strengthen our dependence on Him. He can use it to strengthen our faith and grow our character to be more like His.

Psalm 34:4 says, “I prayed to the Lord, and He answered me. He freed me from all of my fears.” Life without some stress presents no challenges to mature our faith and firm up our convictions. Real living involves dealing with everyday things of life. It is healthy for us to encounter people and circumstances that challenge us and refine our character.

Through these challenges, we are able to depend on our faith and witness God’s miracles in our lives. The raging waters of our lives will be calmer as we rest in Gods’ sovereign hands. If we focus on the Lord and His promises, we will not be robbed of the joy in our lives, despite the circumstances.

Popular writer, Chuck Swindoll tells us that, “Worry in an inordinate anxiety about something that may or may not occur. It has been my observation that what is being worried about usually doesn’t occur. But worry eats away at joy like a slow working acid while we are waiting for the outcome.”

“Stress is a little more acute than worry. Stress is intense strain over a situation we cannot change or control—something beyond our control, and instead of releasing it to God, we churn over it. It is in that restless, churning stage that our stress is intensified. Usually the thing that plagues us is not as severe as we make it out to be.”

“Fear on the other, is different from worry and stress. It is a dreadful uneasiness over the presence of danger, evil, or pain. As with the other two, however, fear usually makes things appear worse than they really are.”

            We need to keep things in perspective. If we keep our focus on Him instead of our circumstances  we can help keep our fear in check. In closing, remember the words of Proverbs 1:33, “But all who listen to Me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.”