Fear and anxiety: the silent killer of confidence

As we walk out this life, few things stop our forward progress like fear and anxiety. Like Superman, it is the personal kryptonite that we allow into our lives that make our everyday activities and decisions overwhelming.

One of the main weapons of fear and anxiety is the big “What if?” It can affect every decision that we make, both big and small. What if I take this job and I can’t handle it? What if I invest in the wrong portfolio? What if I fill my gas tank today and tomorrow the price drops? What if, what if, what if …

Now I’m not saying that you shouldn’t think through the decisions that you make. The Bible says that you should consider the cost before undertaking a project (Luke 14:28). Wisdom would tell us not to be irrational or compulsive in our process of decision making. So forethought can alleviate a lot of unnecessary headaches in our decision making. As for me, I believe that the bigger the decision, the larger the impact, or how severe the consequences could be, the more thought needs to go into the decision-making process.

Remember, fear breeds anxiety, but confidence breeds expectation.

Our decisions, when run through the filter of fear, will cause undue anxiety, and can paralyze our progress. In the same manner, when we run our decisions through confidence, we can generate expectation.

So how do you operate in confidence and expectation and not have to worry about the other ends of the spectrum?

The solution is simple. You just need to use the proper filter. And that filter is Jesus Christ. In all of our decisions, we need to consider what Jesus said and did in the Bible. He is the ultimate barometer in our decision-making process.

Philippians 1:6: "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."

Point No. 1: Jesus only did what He saw the Father do, and He only said what He heard the Father say. (John 5:19 paraphrased) If Jesus only did what He saw the Father do, that would be a great clue for us to do the same.

Point No. 2: Everything that Jesus did was done to help other people. If we want to make decisions that are fear and anxiety free, this would be a good perspective to follow.

Point No. 3: Love! John Lennon sang about it, but Jesus was the perfection of it. 1 John 4:18 (ESV) says: "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love."

So how do we make decisions without the lurking “What if?” that leads to fear and anxiety? We become perfected in love, and that only happens in a close relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus is our hope, and hope is a confident expectation that God will fulfill His promises.

One of the benefits of that relationship is summed up in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

And also, in 2 Thessalonians 3:16: “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.”

Peace is the opposite of fear and anxiety, and peace is just a knee-mail away.

Paul Edwards is the men's ministry pastor at Harvest Valley Worship Center.