Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
How Faith Helps Me Overcome My Fears

How Faith Helps Me Overcome My Fears

Last updated on: October 18, 2018 at 11:10 am by Jim Erwin

How Faith Helps Me Overcome My Fears 2018-10-18T11:10:57-05:00 Jim Erwin

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

How Faith Helps Me Overcome My Fears

Mark 4:35-41

In 1951 comedian Red Skelton and a party of friends flew to Europe, where Skelton was to appear at the London Palladium. As they were flying over the Swiss Alps, three of the airplane’s engines failed. The situation looked very grave and the passengers began to pray. Skelton went into one of his best comic routines to distract them from the emergency as the plane lost height, coming closer and closer to the ominous-looking mountains. At the last moment, the pilot spied a large field among the slopes and made a perfect landing. Skelton broke the relieved silence by saying, “Now, ladies and gentlemen, you may return to the evil habits you gave up 20 minutes ago.”

Skelton’s joking advice underscored the truth that whatever religious “commitments” those terrified passengers may have made was strictly temporary. The minute they stepped safely out of that aircraft, all deals with God were canceled.

But for the disciples of Jesus, there were no temporary commitments or cancellations. Once they stepped into the boat with Him, as it were, they were on board for the duration. Of course, there were times when the disciples wondered what they had gotten themselves into with Jesus. Today’s story was one of those occasions. Jesus concluded a long day of teaching by getting into a boat with His disciples—a sure sign in the Gospel of Mark that something interesting was about to happen.1

“On that day, when evening had come, he told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.”” (Mark 4:35, CSB)

“The same day” refers to the day on which Jesus gave the “parables of the kingdom.” He had been teaching His disciples the Word and now He would give them a practical test to see how much they had really learned. After all, the hearing of God’s Word is intended to produce faith; and faith must always be tested. It is not enough for us merely to learn a lesson or be able to repeat a teaching. We must also be able to practice that lesson by faith, and that is one reason why God permits trials to come to our lives.2

In this particular passage, we see that Jesus and the disciples are in a boat on the sea and the storm comes around to stir up the place. Just another day in the life of Jesus.

1. Sometimes, circumstances in life can be frightening. (Mark 4:37)

“A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.” (Mark 4:37, CSB)

The elements of a perfect storm were gathering. First, Jesus was utterly exhausted. Second, the disciples, too, were tired and emotionally befuddled by their extraordinary experiences with Jesus. Third, it was already nighttime —late to be setting out to cross the sea. Fourth, a small flotilla of eager followers was trailing them, meaning that when they landed, rest would remain elusive.

Then there was the sea itself. The Sea of Galilee is like a bowl of water nestled nearly seven hundred feet below sea level. It is both fed and drained by the Jordan River, which enters at the northern end and exits from the southern end. Mountains flank nearly every side, forming valleys and gullies that set the stage for howling winds. When the cool air from the mountains swoops through the valleys and collides with the warm, moist air hovering over the sea, violent storms can erupt in a matter of minutes.

And that is just what happened. “A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat so that it was already filling.” Mark uses a Greek word for windstorm that can be translated “furious squall” or “hurricane.” Matthew describes the storm as a “great seismos,” or earthquake —as if the sea were being shaken by the winds. Fatigue. Confusion. Darkness. Tempest. The perfect storm had arrived.3

Like any major storm, circumstances in life can be very frightening. Whether it is a thunderstorm, tornado, hurricane, or snowstorm, any kind of extreme weather event can bring with it the opportunity to be anxious. So how do I respond to this circumstance?

2. I can respond with fear. (Mark 4:38)

“He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?”” (Mark 4:38, CSB)

The disciples were extremely scared. They feared for their lives.

On August 14, 1989, Time reported the sad story of a man from East Detroit who died of fear. He had taken a number of fur-trapping expeditions over the years and had been bitten by his share of ticks. Then he heard about Lyme disease, which is carried by deer ticks. He became obsessed with the fear that he had been bitten in the past by a tick with the disease and that he had passed the disease to his wife.

Doctors tested him and assured him he didn’t have Lyme disease and that, even if he did, the disease was virtually impossible to transmit to his wife. But the man didn’t believe the doctors. Paranoid, because of the disease, the man killed his wife and then himself.

The police found the man’s mailbox jammed with material describing Lyme disease and a slip confirming a doctor’s appointment for yet another Lyme-disease test.

Fear distorts a person’s sense of reality. Fear consumes a person’s energy and thoughts. Fear controls.4

The disciples were extremely scared. They feared for their lives. Yet Jesus showed no emotion. The reason is that Jesus responded with faith.

3. I should respond with faith (Mark 4:39-40)

“He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Then he said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”” (Mark 4:39–40, CSB)

Jesus responded with faith. As a matter of fact, Jesus was sleeping during the storm. He had enough faith to sleep during the storm. When you feel safe, you can sleep through anything. I can remember Hurricane Alicia that hit the Galveston area of the Gulf Coast in 1986. I remember because I slept through the storm. I didn’t worry about how my life was going to be affected by the storm that was raging. I was secure enough to know that I was safe. I had faith to know that I would feel safe. I felt safe enough to sleep through the storm. That is the difference between the disciples and Jesus.

That brings us to the problem in this passage. Do I really feel safe? You may say: “Sure, Jesus was safe. He was God’s Son. He had the power over the weather.” But the problem is that many times in life, you and I don’t act like Jesus has power over the circumstances in my life. Part of the reason is that we don’t like giving up control. We like to be the man who controls their own fate. We like to handle things by ourselves. And yes, Jesus gives us responsibilities. We are called to manage what He gives us. But He never tells us that there won’t be problems. Instead, He promises problems. Yet, He also promises that He will be with us.

“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”” (John 16:33, CSB)

The other part of the reason is a lack of faith. We look around us and we see our circumstances and we wonder how we will get through this. We should be saying: “God, you have helped me in the past. You will help me again.” Instead, we are scared. Jesus is in the boat with us. But we are scared. Jesus is sleeping in the boat, which should tell us something about the circumstances around us.

David Jeremiah has stated: “Many people believe faith is some kind of insurance against high blood pressure and heartache. Trust God and you’ll have no worries. But a great paradox of Christianity is that trusting Christ doesn’t keep the storms away. In fact, sometimes it pushes us into deep and turbulent waters.”5

Jesus challenges us to have courage and faith.

4. I have to overcome the problem that I don’t feel safe, even when I am with Jesus (Mark 4:41)

“And they were terrified and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!”” (Mark 4:41, CSB)

Problems will always come, especially after God has taught you something about Himself or yourself. The reason is because:

Jesus had taught about His Word, and had given His word that the disciples would make it to the other side. But whether regarding a promise Jesus gave to His disciples, or one He gives to you, after teaching comes testing. Always.6

Jesus can be trusted in the storms of life. Many people have the idea that storms come to their lives only when they have disobeyed God, but this is not always the case. Jonah ended up in a storm because of his disobedience, but the disciples got into a storm because of their obedience to the Lord.7

When author Gary Thomas and his wife considered buying a house, they prayed diligently for God to guide them. If it wasn’t His will, they figured He would close the windows of opportunity.

The window did not close, so they proceeded with their purchase. Five years passed, during which they enjoyed their home and the blessing of God. Then the economy entered a tailspin, and the house was suddenly worth less than they had paid for it. They wondered why God hadn’t stopped them from making a bad investment. They had prayed. They had listened. They had not heard “no.”

As Gary’s wife was seeking God one day, she heard His answer: Have you considered the possibility that I wanted you in that neighborhood to minister rather than to bolster your financial equity? That insight caused them to rethink their questions about God’s guidance. They realized it was all about lives touched for Christ rather than value earned from holdings. Now the question was, did they trust God enough to follow Him down a path with no financial profit, but with great spiritual profit?8

I have to feel safe and that can only happen when I have peace.

Two painters were in a contest where each said they could paint a picture of peace. One painter painted this sunset with the sun going down over the calm water. It all looked very nice and the picture had a very calming effect. The other painter painted a picture of a storm. In it, the sky was dark and there was lightning, thunder, and dark clouds rolling overhead. The picture showed the waves crashing against the rocks. Things looked fairly chaotic. But in the corner of the painting, at the bottom, were two big stones with a bird in the middle of them. The bird was singing. Now that’s peace. Peace is where God’s calm and God’s tranquility overrule your concerns.9

1 “Red Skelton,” Galaxie Software, 10,000 Sermon Illustrations (Biblical Studies Press, 2002).

2 Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 124.

3 David Jeremiah, What Are You Afraid of? Facing down Your Fears with Faith (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2013).

4 Craig Brian Larson, 750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers & Writers (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2002), 169.

5 David Jeremiah, What Are You Afraid of? Facing down Your Fears with Faith (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2013).

6 Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 241.

7 Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 124.

8 Gary L. Thomas, “The Freedom of Surrender,” Discipleship Journal, September/October 1996, 52. In David Jeremiah, What Are You Afraid of? Facing down Your Fears with Faith (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2013).

9 Tony Evans, Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009), 221.

Photo by Mete Myagkiy on Unsplash

Other Posts:

Matthew 14:22-36 Overcoming the Storms of Life

Lenten Reflection #6: Jesus Sleeps

How God’s Love Helps Me With My Fears

Psalm 27:1-14 How to Have Confidence Over My Fears

Jesus calms the storm

sermon

storms

Previous Post

October 15, 2018

How to Pray With Purpose

Next Post

November 6, 2018 The Ministry of Suffering

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 1 Chronicles 1 Corinthians 1 John 1 Kings 1 Peter 1 Samuel 1 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Chronicles 2 Corinthians 2 John 2 Kings 2 Peter 2 Samuel 2 Thessalonians 2 Timothy 3 John Acts Advent Amos Book Review Colossians Comics Culture Watch Daniel Deuteronomy Ecclesiastes Ephesians Esther Exodus Ezekiel Ezra Galatians Genesis Guest Post Habakkuk Haggai Hebrews Hosea Humor Inspiritational Isaiah James Jeremiah Job Joel John Jonah Joshua Jude Judges Lamentations Lectionary Lent Leviticus Link Love Luke Malachi Mark Matthew Micah Movie Review Nahum Nehemiah Numbers Philippians Political Watch Prophecy Watch Proverbs Psalm Revelation Reviews Romans Ruth Science Watch Sermon Series Sermons Simple Thoughts Song of Solomon Titus Top Ten Uncategorized Video Review Zechariah Zephaniah

Select a Month May 2026 October 2025 September 2025 June 2025 February 2025 January 2025 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 April 2024 March 2024 January 2024 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 June 2023 May 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 January 2022 June 2021 January 2021 October 2020 July 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2009 June 2008 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 October 2006 September 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 September 2005

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

John Jesus An angel God (the Lord God)