What do you fear most?
Everyone has fears and anxieties. It’s good to know yours because what we fear most says a lot about our hearts. To identify yours, here are some questions to answer. Make sure to write them down.
What do you worry, think, and pray about most?
What (or who) do you fear losing?
When do you feel most “triggered” or upset? What’s the underlying belief making you feel upset?
What do you spend the most time avoiding or planning so that it happens the way you want (or not at all)?
What causes you the most stress? What are you trying to control that feels hard?
Who (or what) do most of your fears center around: money, time, family, friends, people’s opinions, your job, your faith?
Our answers to these questions reveal our core values and what we love most — what occupies the most space in our hearts.
Some common fears
Not having enough money or resources
Losing key relationships / loved ones dying
Losing status in your community
Failing / looking like a failure / not measuring up
Judgment or rejection
Heights, small spaces, or flying in planes
Health issues or sickness
(Have I made you anxious yet? Hah, sorry about that! Getting to the solution.)
Our Father’s perspective
God loves us and wants us to walk free from fear every day. But do you really believe that? Because we can say it, but our hearts and daily lives reveal our true feelings.
So… are you lacking peace in an area? Do you feel joyful every day and that your tasks are “easy & light” like Jesus promised His yoke would be, or do you find yourself striving to ‘make things happen’? These are great indicators of unresolved fear.
The Lord doesn’t want to see any of His kids consumed with getting our needs met, what we lack, or losing something we love.
First of all, He’s got us covered! God is our Provider, but we can live in such a way that we ignore this awesome benefit of being His kid.
And secondly, He has so much more for you in life ~ and things He does want you to focus on. But if you spend all your time, energy, and focus managing your fears, you won’t step into the purpose He has for you and the mission He wants you to fulfill!
Imagine learning that your child…
… worried every day if they had enough food to eat, warm enough clothes, help with homework, rides home from school, or a bed to sleep in at night. You’d be shocked, right? And you’d quickly comfort them and tell them you’ve been with them the whole time, helping them when they needed it!
And you’d be sad that they ever doubted you, especially after you came through for them every day for years! It’s upsetting to think your child spent so much time and energy trying to get what you’d already given them.
I imagine that’s how our Father feels when He’s always thisclose to us, caring for every detail of our lives, yet we choose to stress out, worry, complain, and strive to get what He already provided for us.
“My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 4
That Scripture says ALL your need. But if we choose to believe the lie that He won’t come through for us in an area and allow fear to be part of our daily life, we’ll partner with it instead of allowing God’s perfect love, peace, and provision to quiet our swirling thoughts.
When we decide to trust our Heavenly Father and focus on Him, we have so much daily joy and peace no matter what situation we find ourselves in! And we can truly REST knowing our Father is trustworthy and will care for us.
We can breathe out that breath we’ve unknowingly been holding in and experience a mini “heart vacation” every day :) Sounds a lot more enjoyable than pulling our hair out over everything from tight schedules and holidays to budgets and burnt oatmeal, right?
“His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” —2 Peter 1
Everything. Everything. Say it again… everything. Every true need of yours is taken care of… but it’ll only help you when you accept the reality that He is God, we are not, and we don’t have to strive for anything we truly need.
“I have been young, and now I am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Or his descendants begging bread.” —Psalm 37
What is fear costing you?
God’s Word says this about fear:
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” —1 John 4 (emphasis mine)
When we’re consumed with our fears and anxieties—what we lack or are trying to control—we’re not trusting our Heavenly Father to care for us. We’re believing lies about Him, His character, ourselves, and our world.
Fear tells us we’re alone or unable to rely on anyone to “come through” for us.
We may spend much of our time trying to control the uncontrollable or striving to get what He’s already freely providing us. Our fear erodes our relationship with the Lord because part of us deep-down believes He won’t come through for us in an area.
What’s the antidote?
”, we’ll neglect to give what we’ve freely received. This is why it’s key to live out of our identity as God’s daughter—so we can relax and fully trust we’ll be cared for, no matter what! Then we’ll be able to exemplify His loving heart for others… because we won’t view them through the lens of need, competition, or scarcity: In short, we’ll live as God’s beloved children instead of orphans desperate to have their needs met.
He spoke to these common fears in the Scriptures below.