Do Not Be Afraid—Just Believe!

Do you know which phrase is repeated over 100 times in the bible?

Do not be afraid.

It’s like God knew that fear was going to be the predominate theme of our lives and was trying to tell us to just believe in Him.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I simply bypass that route (trusting God will handle my problems), only to look back later and wonder why I didn’t turn my problem(s) over to God in the first place. So much wasted energy and time!

And who is going to do a better job handling my problems that God?

Mental health experts are sounding the alarms as study after study, and story after story, highlights the increase in anxiety and depression the entire population of our planet is feeling. The events of the last two years amplified this concerning trend—leaving a lot of us feeling isolated, uncertain, and scared.

One study released in the fall of 2021 reports that, “Rates of depression and anxiety climbed globally by more than 25% in 2020.” The same study also found that women and younger people are particularly at risk.

Unfortunately, many people are tempted to soothe, distract, or forget those feelings by turning to harmful outlets like drugs, alcohol, food, crime, and other destructive behaviors. Or they dwell on these negative feelings and waste precious days, months, and years of their limited time on earth.

I read a quote once and it seems applicable, these days in particular; Fear knocked on the door. Faith answered. Fear ran away.

Paul the Apostle said it well in Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” He points out that when we are feeling anxious, the best thing to do is to pray—to talk to God about what is going on in our life, what concerns us, what upsets us, what we’re scared of. After all, God is more powerful than anything else, and his peace and love will soothe and protect our hearts and minds.

It may take time and some patience on our part, but God is listening and He will answer our prayers, take away our anxiety and depression, and bless us in more ways than we can count.

Remember Jesus’ words in Mark 5:36, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”