Firstly, I’ve always been a fan of rock music. In my younger days, I used to dream of being a rockstar. But whenever I read rock autobiographies, fear and self-doubt almost always feature, even in people who appear very confident.
I think that fear and self doubt often have much more to do with how our bodies and brains work than we realize. Some of us are more prone to it than others. In the past, I’d focus on Christian books on counselling or Bible verses. I still find that helpful, but for mental health in addition to physical health, God, through His common grace, gives us the capacity to learn and develop strategies to address our issues.
For example, if I have a bad toothache should I visit a dentist or call my pastor? I’d probably pray that it goes away or that I’ll cope with it, but I’d book ad appointment with my dentist rather than my pastor. And I don’t imagine that I’d search the Bible for dental advice. And with mental health issues, even minor ones, there’s much wisdom to be found out there in the world. I don’t think that you get magical solutions, but you do have strategies for addressing fear and self-doubt. I like Dummies books, because they’re fun and friendly. But you’ll get all types of other resources on the web nowadays.
Some Christians are a little suspicious about any advice that’s not rooted in the Bible, but as I said, I think that we have much general more awareness of how to address all kinds of issues nowadays. But God is only a prayer away, and whatever I’m dealing with, I’ll seek His help and support in addition to that of my fellow humans.
Here are a few verses about fear and confidence:
Isaiah 41:10
“Fear not, for I am with you… I will strengthen you and help you.”
Philippians 4:13
“I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.”
We shouldn’t look at these as perfect solutions. We live in an imperfect world. But it’s helpful to know that God is with us and that He is at work in our lives. When you read the book of Acts, God sometimes intervened in unusual ways to protect the Apostles, but not always. They had their troubles like the rest of us.
Paul gives a list of his troubles in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28. I find verse 28 particularly interesting:
2 Corinthians 11:28
Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
Why didn’t Paul just trust God rather than feel under pressure? But God wanted him to be active and to grow through ordeals. Interestingly, when Paul, who was initially a persecutor of the church, was converted on the road to Damascus, here’s what God said to Ananias, who was appointed to meet with Paul when he reached Damascus:
Acts 9:15-16
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
The life of Jesus, even apart from Calvary, wasn’t easy. And Jesus promised trouble to His disciples:
John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
So, I can employ lots of little strategies to address fear and self-doubt, but at the deepest level, I see this life as a little boot camp where I learn and grow through my troubles. And I look forward to my great reward, which Christ earned for me by dying on the cross. And in the meantime, I draw on Him for comfort.
Hibernia Gospel 