Fear Takes You Where Grace Has Not Yet Gone

I don’t have to tell you that there’s a lot to fear in this world. And we don’t have the promise that our fears won’t become reality. We’ll all be faced with some degree of unwanted sorrows, hardships, and disappointments simply because we live in a fallen world that still groans under the curse of sin.

But God doesn’t tell us to not fear because there isn’t anything to fear. He tells us to not fear because he promises to never leave us or forsake us. Even more, he promises that his all-sufficient grace will be equal to our need when the moment arises.

The problem, however, is that our fears take us where his grace has not yet gone. He says to us, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).

But he also says to us, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

We don’t find comfort for our fears in the hope that they won’t become reality. We find comfort in our fears with the promise that Jesus will carry us through it with the exact amount of grace we need if it comes.

The truth is, the fear of “what if” is often worse than the unwanted circumstances themselves. Why? Partly because 95% of what we fear never ends up happening. But mainly because we’re imagining future problems without the future grace needed to endure them.

As Vaneetha Risner recently wrote, “Replacing ‘what if’ with ‘even if’ is one of the most liberating exchanges we can ever make. We trade our irrational fears of an uncertain future for the loving assurance of an unchanging God. We see that even if the worst happens, God will carry us.” – Watching for the Morning

What fears are you battling today? I encourage you to recognize them, take them captive, and filter them through the lens of this truth. You just might find yourself more at peace in the present if you learn to leave tomorrow’s problems in the Lord’s hands. Whatever lies ahead, he will be faithful to meet you with the exact amount of grace needed at the exact moment it’s required.

Home is around the corner,

Sarah

You connect with Sarah on Instagram here. 

To read more of Sarah’s writings, you can pick up a copy of He Gives More Grace: 30 Reflections for the Ups and Downs of Motherhood, Hope When It Hurts: 30 Biblical Reflections to help you grasp God’s purpose in your suffering), Tears and Tossings (short evangelistic resource on how God carries our sorrows), or Together Through the Storms (for married couples navigating the trials of life). Lastly, you can now order Sarah’s Pilgrim’s Progress inspired children’s book based on the account of the Prodigal Son, titled “The Long Road Home” (Crossway).