How to Stop Living in Fear

Do you want to stop living in fear?

Fear is a powerful emotion, a gripping feeling of anxiousness or apprehension about a situation or event. It’s an emotional reaction to pain or danger and the results of sin.

Living in fear; abuse victims are paralyzed and trapped in hopeless relationships. The desire to fight or flee diminishes as feelings of fear grip their mind. Many don’t know how to stop living in fear.

You can stop living in fear by conquering it head on through faith.

Identify the Source of Fear

To discover the source of fear you need to identify the affliction that causes feelings of anxiety and fearfulness. To recognize, describe and name the dominant suffering driving the emotional wheel.

Recognizing the affliction is the first step towards a better life. For many abuse victims, the suffering has become a pattern in life, and spotting the first instance of affliction can be difficult.

Writing in a self-reflective manner unlocked past events, revealing the first affliction to cause me to become fearful, and anxious.

Describe and Name the Dominant Suffering

I first learned to fear at age five in my father’s bedroom. His bedroom was small; it fit a bed, dresser, and closet with enough room to walk around the bed. The Pall Mall’s he smoked always left an awful stench in the air.

My father took me to his bedroom to take a nap with him. The feelings of fear overtook me as soon as he lay on the bed next to me. Crying, and pleading;

Saying, I want to go back out in the kitchen with mom.

Remembering the incident well because of fear. I reminded my father of his actions when he “planted the healing seeds of faith.”

I stayed and woke up to him lying next to me. My underclothes were gone, and his private parts were resting on the top part of my thigh. As he slept, I jumped out of bed and got dressed.

Looking back through the eyes of God’s grace, I can see this incident was the first affliction of adversity (sin) in my life. I learned to be fearful, anxious and distrust men.

As the years went by, I continued to struggle with adversity, and fear became a focal point in my life. Enduring domestic violence at the hands of my husband, my mind became consumed by fear.

I ran in fear for my life due to being abused. The fear of him finding me dominated my mind for twenty-two years. Fear permeated my mind and gained control over my life.

Now it’s your turn!

Reflect back over the past to identify the source of your fear.

Fear is the Opposite of God’s Unconditional Love

I believe fear is the opposite of God’s unconditional love.

If you look around the world “fear” is everywhere. The devil or Satan imposes fear in the hearts and minds of humanity. His mission is to keep you away from God and His unconditional love.

When a person is not walking by faith in the light of Christ, they walk in darkness with fear and sin infuses their heart. Their actions are evil, and sin rules over them.

The light is hated by everyone whose acts are evil, and he does not come to the light for fear that his acts will be seen. John 3:20 KJV

Walking in darkness with fear gives the devil permission to work destruction in your life. The devil comes to rob, kill, steal, and he will destroy you. His favorite weapons are manipulation of God’s truth and fear. The devil instills fear in your mind to gain victory over you.

When you trust in Jesus Christ and walk by faith in Him, he will help you stop living in fear.

Conquering Fear Head On By Faith

If you want to stop living in fear, you must come to the only one who can give you victory over fear. – Jesus Christ!

Jesus Christ is “the way, the truth, and the life.”

He is the only way to overcome fear. Jesus has already defeated the devil on the cross at Calvary. His Word is the only truth you need to master the devil and his evil ways.

Spend time in the Word of God to renew your mind, and the devil will flee.

Jesus Christ is life. Learn to trust in Him and His unconditional love for you. Accept His gift of saving grace, and He will clean your heart of sin when you ask Him by faith.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Romans 10:9 KJV

Cling to God’s promise, “Fear thou not for I am with thee.”

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10 KJV

God has commanded his people to “fear not” over seventy times throughout the Word of God (Bule Letter Bible). He wanted to make sure you knew you can trust in Him, so “fear not.” 

How to Stop Living in Fear

I stopped living in fear by trusting in God. I walked by faith, not by sight and trusted God was with me. To walk by faith in Jesus Christ is to gain victory over fear.

I decided to step out in faith, knowing God was always with me and will always protect me. I chose to face fear head-on by faith in Jesus Christ and His abilities. You can learn more by reading my personal life story. You can break the grip of fear through faith in Jesus Christ.