Pastor Rick Warren: Two Ways to Tackle Fear

by Rick Warren

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love casts out all fear” (1 John 4:18 NIV).

Everyone has fears. Your problem isn’t that you’re afraid. It’s what you do with the fear that really matters.

Jesus tells us in John 8:32, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (NIV).
I could share at least a dozen biblical ways to get over fear, but here are two ideas you can start with right now.
Practice the presence of Jesus. Learn the habit of reminding yourself every single moment of the day, “God is with me.” Practice talking to him all the time—when you’re walking down the street, getting in your car, or even taking a bath. When you do that, you will realize he’s always with you. You don’t have to “spend some time” with God. All your time can be “God time.” When you become aware of God’s presence in your life, fear will go away.
When God is near, you lose your fear. Why? Because God is love, and the Bible says: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love casts out all fear” (1 John 4:18 NIV). The more you feel loved by God, the less you’ll fear.
Move against the fear. You can’t go around, over, or under fear. You must go straight through it. You need to do what you fear the most. That’s called faith. You need to open the door of the closet and see for yourself that the bogeyman isn’t as big as you thought he was.
Fear is always worse than reality. The fear of failure is worse than failure. Failure is no big deal. You just get up and start over. The fear of rejection is worse than rejection. The fear of embarrassment is worse than embarrassment. Why? Because the fear goes on for hours and days and years. Fear is “False Evidence Appearing Real.” Fear is a fake.
These solutions won’t just help you deal with fear. You can use them to help others, too. You likely know lots of people dealing with fear in some area of their lives. Pass these principles on to them.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
Talk It Over

What are some fears that have haunted you?
Which of the two strategies above do you need to put into action this week?
Think of someone in your life who is dealing with fear—how can you pass this devotional on to that person?

Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it.