Louder Than the Roar of Fear

There it was. That tingle that led to my mind turning to mush, a train wreck destroying all focus. A momentary chasm of despair before the welling rage rushed to the surface. Since I was little, I’ve had this cycle and until recently couldn’t put my finger on just what this was. But now I know (though at the moment, unfocused, it is a struggle to identify) – this is how fear manifests itself in my life.

Fear, this ambiguous cloud. Fear, this paralyzing, emotion-driving, enemy of my soul that so often has left me feeling defeated, overwhelmed and afraid. Even after moments of pressing into Jesus – I mean, shouldn’t it all just go away?

Take Mark 4 – the disciples are in a boat, the wind starts to blow which naturally causes the waters to move back and forth, forming into massive waves (my dad was a science teacher, so I know that’s how it works). The boat, as such, is victim to the waves. Where the wind blows and where the current moves the boat will follow – in spite of man’s best attempts to control, at some point the water wins.

And to be honest, in spite of man’s best attempts, at some point, fear wins. In my hands, by my means, fear will win.

But fear doesn’t have the final word. And neither did the waves.

You see, in Mark 4, Jesus was asleep in the boat during all of this. During this incredible, fear-invoking storm, Jesus is asleep. And the disciples, driven by fear, cry out – they hurl a claim at Jesus.

“Teacher – don’t you care if we drown?”

By all means, it seemed like the end was upon them. This is what fear does. Throws things at us, knocks us down, overwhelms us and makes us feel as though we are defeated. Not only defeated, but as though God doesn’t see us and God doesn’t care.

Teacher – don’t you care? Jesus – don’t you care? Jesus – have you abandoned me? Jesus – do you see me?

And in the moment it feels like we are left without answer to our question. Or more so, as the fear continues to rage, that the answer to that is no. But the wind doesn’t have the final word. Our fear doesn’t have the final word. Our emotions don’t have the final word. Jesus does.

And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

– Mark 4:39

When the raging sea of your soul is overwhelming, when the winds of fear blow all around you, when you try to speak and lack the strength to shout over the roar, fear does not have the final word.

Jesus is the one who rebukes the winds of fear and speaks peace over you. Fear is a liar and does not hold power over those whose lives are hidden in Jesus.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

– Romans 8:14-15

Cry out to him today – name your fear. He will not leave you nor forsake you. The winds may rage and the fear may roar, but we are not alone and we are not powerless.

I may not have the strength to speak over the roar of my fear, but there is One who speaks for me – Jesus.