“35 On that day, when evening had come, He told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.” 36 So they left the crowd and took Him along since He was already in the boat. And other boats were with Him. 37 A fierce windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 But He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him up and said to Him, “Teacher! Don’t You care that were going to die?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 Then He said to them, “Why are you fearful? Do you still have no faith?”
41 And they were terrified and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey Him!””
Mark 4:35-41
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Apparently, I am a worrier, and I have let fear get the best of me at times. I have obsessed, been consumed by things that shouldn’t consume me, and generally exhibited a lack of faith when in my heart of hearts, I know better and have been shown so many times that God has everything under control. I am the storm drenched disciple in the boat wondering why Jesus is napping.

I feel immensely silly once I realize what I am doing, yet again, and I must apologize and repent, yet agian, for doubting and letting my mind play tricks on me. I have listened to the repeated whispers of the enemy in my ears, knowing they’re nonsense, but entertained those thoughts anyway. And I repent, pray and seek forgiveness.

So much of combatting fear, for me, is to immediately act in the opposite way. Just look it in the face and do what fear says not to do. Not being foolhardy, not acting in ignorance, but stepping out, moving forward. Fear builds a wall, and piles rubble on top of you, pressuring you and weighing you down. You are hemmed in on all sides, and made to feel like you cannot move. And so, to combat fear, I must move. I must go. I must trim my sails, turn into the waves and trust my Master to go where He said to go.

Fear fails when we move, its façade crumbles, and its foundation slips away. When we step up and step out, walking with the Master, Jesus, listening to the call of the Holy Spirit, trusting the will of the Father, we will find so much strength has been given to us. Fear is only as strong as we let it be. Anxiety can only control us as long as we give it permission. If we know we are called to GoLove, walking as Jesus walked, then we must trust that God has given us the strength to do just that. If Jesus said to share the good news of the Kingdom, which He did, we must trust Him to work in us and through us to see that commissioning accomplished. He will be faithful, just as He always is, and we must let faith guide our every action. Fear and faith cannot coexist, the Christian walk cannot be defined by both.