My Journey Through Fear

#1 · February 27, 2025, 10:45 pm

Quote from Brother Sjambok on February 27, 2025, 10:45 pm
For as long as I can remember, I’ve struggled with fear. As a child, it often manifested in things like fear of the dark or fear of not being accepted. But as I grew older, the fear began to take a deeper hold on me—fear of failure, fear of disappointing others, fear of what the future might hold. It felt like an invisible weight, always there, keeping me from truly living freely.

The turning point for me came during a season of my life when everything felt uncertain. I was facing a major life transition—moving to a new city, starting a new job, and stepping out of my comfort zone in ways I hadn’t before. I was excited, but the fear began to creep in. “What if I fail?” “What if things don’t work out?” The constant barrage of “what ifs” created a deep sense of anxiety, and it felt like the fear was growing stronger every day.

I tried to ignore it at first. I thought I could push through on my own, pretending everything was fine. But no matter how hard I tried, the fear wouldn’t go away. It would paralyze me at night when I was trying to sleep, and it would fill my mind with doubts and worries during the day.

One night, I found myself lying awake in bed, unable to sleep because of the fear. It was in that moment that I realized I couldn’t keep doing this on my own. I needed help, and I needed to turn to God for peace. I grabbed my Bible and began reading the Psalms. Psalm 34:4 stood out to me: “I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.”

That verse hit me like a lifeline. I began to pray out loud, asking God to take away my fears, to replace them with His peace. I admitted that I couldn’t handle this alone and that I needed His help to overcome the constant anxiety I was feeling. As I prayed, I felt a deep sense of comfort wash over me. It didn’t mean the fear was gone instantly, but I felt less alone in it.

Over the next few weeks, I made a conscious effort to surrender my fears to God. Every time the fear would come up, I would remind myself of the truth in God’s Word—like Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” I started to repeat these verses when I felt fear rising in my heart. I also leaned on my faith community for support, asking for prayer and encouragement.

It wasn’t easy, and I didn’t see an overnight transformation. But little by little, I began to notice a change. The fear didn’t hold as much power over me anymore. I realized that the more I trusted in God’s promises, the less control fear had in my life. I started to take steps forward, even when the fear was still present, trusting that God was with me every step of the way.

There are still moments when fear tries to creep in. But now, instead of letting it paralyze me, I remind myself that God has already gone before me. I can step into the unknown with courage, knowing He’s there. And even when the fear feels overwhelming, I know that I am never alone, and God’s perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18).

For as long as I can remember, I’ve struggled with fear. As a child, it often manifested in things like fear of the dark or fear of not being accepted. But as I grew older, the fear began to take a deeper hold on me—fear of failure, fear of disappointing others, fear of what the future might hold. It felt like an invisible weight, always there, keeping me from truly living freely.

The turning point for me came during a season of my life when everything felt uncertain. I was facing a major life transition—moving to a new city, starting a new job, and stepping out of my comfort zone in ways I hadn’t before. I was excited, but the fear began to creep in. “What if I fail?” “What if things don’t work out?” The constant barrage of “what ifs” created a deep sense of anxiety, and it felt like the fear was growing stronger every day.

I tried to ignore it at first. I thought I could push through on my own, pretending everything was fine. But no matter how hard I tried, the fear wouldn’t go away. It would paralyze me at night when I was trying to sleep, and it would fill my mind with doubts and worries during the day.

One night, I found myself lying awake in bed, unable to sleep because of the fear. It was in that moment that I realized I couldn’t keep doing this on my own. I needed help, and I needed to turn to God for peace. I grabbed my Bible and began reading the Psalms. Psalm 34:4 stood out to me: “I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.”

That verse hit me like a lifeline. I began to pray out loud, asking God to take away my fears, to replace them with His peace. I admitted that I couldn’t handle this alone and that I needed His help to overcome the constant anxiety I was feeling. As I prayed, I felt a deep sense of comfort wash over me. It didn’t mean the fear was gone instantly, but I felt less alone in it.

Over the next few weeks, I made a conscious effort to surrender my fears to God. Every time the fear would come up, I would remind myself of the truth in God’s Word—like Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” I started to repeat these verses when I felt fear rising in my heart. I also leaned on my faith community for support, asking for prayer and encouragement.

It wasn’t easy, and I didn’t see an overnight transformation. But little by little, I began to notice a change. The fear didn’t hold as much power over me anymore. I realized that the more I trusted in God’s promises, the less control fear had in my life. I started to take steps forward, even when the fear was still present, trusting that God was with me every step of the way.

There are still moments when fear tries to creep in. But now, instead of letting it paralyze me, I remind myself that God has already gone before me. I can step into the unknown with courage, knowing He’s there. And even when the fear feels overwhelming, I know that I am never alone, and God’s perfect love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18).