Remember Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, David’s giant nemesis who challenged the entire Israelite army to a fight? He was nearly ten feet tall. His armor weighed 150 pounds, and his spear weighed nearly 30 pounds.
David was a shepherd boy. A teenager. Yet when he heard Goliath’s taunts, he didn’t run and hide in fear. He said, “For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” Then he stared Goliath down and trusted God for victory.
“Fear not” is one of the most common commands in the Bible. Although we may face moments of fear, God doesn’t want us to be consumed by it. Paul reminds us in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
How do you move through fear rather than live in bondage to it? Author Deborah Pegues encourages people to imagine their fear as Goliath. No matter how big and powerful your fear seems, if you conquer it, it will serve you.
Deborah Pegues is with us on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Calming Your Fears” to share practical, biblical ideas for addressing our core fears:
- Fear of death.
- Fear of inadequacy.
- Fear of loneliness (which includes the fear of rejection).
- Fear of losing control.
- Fear of change.
- Fear of failure.
Tune in on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, via Google Podcasts, or on our free phone app and learn how to put fear in its place.
Deborah is a certified behavioral consultant, a Bible teacher, a speaker, and the author of 16 books. The one we’re discussing with her is 30 Days to Taming Your Fears: Practical Help for a More Peaceful and Productive Life. Let us put this resource into your hands. I’d like to do that for a gift of any amount. Give us a call a call at 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459). If you can’t afford it, we’ll find a way to get it to you. (For more information, visit our website.)
We’d also like to help you take the first steps toward trusting Christ as your Savior, if you haven’t already. With that in mind, you may be interested in a free online booklet we’ve written called, “Coming Home: An Invitation to Join God’s Family,” which explains what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus.
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