Looking for some scripture and meditations to help you curb fear?
In the 2013 animated film The Croods, the caveman father teaches his children one very important lesson—the only lesson he thinks they need. It’s a simple double negative that gets repeated throughout the movie: “Never not be afraid.”
Without intending to, many of us have taken that as the guiding principle of our daily lives. And let’s face it, the world is riddled with fear stemming from so many places—the pandemic, war, the economy, health, complicated family situations, relational drama, etc.
If we let fear have even an inch, it will creep in and take over. It grows like that, feeding on itself. How can we starve it? How can we break free from its clutches and live in freedom and peace?
Every day we are faced with a choice: which emotion is going to be the dictator of our emotional house? Will we give way to fear or will we respond with the opposite?
What is the opposite anyway?
Is the opposite of fear faith? Or is it courage? Or is it peace? If we could only figure out what the opposite is, maybe we could hold onto that and it would make a difference.
For me, the key lies in 1 John 4:16-18, “We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. In this love brought to perfection among us, that we have confidence on the day of judgment because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.”
This little phrase, “perfect love drives out fear” has fortified me many times when the world around me threatened to overwhelm me. Where does one find this “perfect love”? Is perfect love synonymous with Mr. or Mrs. Right? Is it a child’s love? Or that of a faithful dog?
Perfect love is God. God IS love. This is why the Scriptures can so boldly say that there is no fear in love. It is because there is no fear in God. The deeper we find our hope, identity, and security in God the more we banish fear from our lives.
Here are some other Scriptures to encourage your heart:
Isaiah 41:10: “Do not fear: I am with you; do not be anxious: I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”
Philippians 4:6-7: “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding with guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Psalm 27:1: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?”
2 Timothy 1:7: “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-control."
Think on these things.
The battle with fear in our minds and hearts is real. You are not imagining it. One weapon we have in the battle is the choice of what we choose to think. Philippians 4:8 tell us to think on the things that are good, noble, praiseworthy, etc. Sometimes in the middle of the noise and chaos of the world, fear can set up shop. We take back that space when we set aside time to change our thoughts.
I find this meditation and prayer by Cardinal Mercier to be a consistent source of spiritual strength:
“I am going to reveal to you the secret of sanctity and happiness. Every day for five minutes control your imagination and close your eyes to all the noises of the world in order to enter into yourself. Then, in the sanctuary of your baptized soul (which is the temple of the Holy Spirit) speak to that Divine Spirit, saying to Him:
O Holy Spirit, beloved of my soul, I adore You. Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, console me. Tell me what I should do; give me Your orders. I promise to submit myself to all that You desire of me and to accept all that You permit to happen to me. Let me only know Your Will.
“If you do this, your life will flow along happily, serenely, and full of consolation, even in the midst of trials. Grace will be proportioned to the trial, giving you the strength to carry it and you will arrive at the Gate of Paradise, laden with merit. This submission to the Holy Spirit is the secret of sanctity.”
It is a comfort to know that if we cannot find peace and tranquillity in our homes, jobs, or commutes, we can find it in the sanctuary of our baptized souls. We can always go there and speak with the Holy Spirit. And there, right there, perfect Love will begin driving out fear.
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