Fear of the Unknown

If you’re someone who has ever dealt with fear and anxiety, then a fear of the unknown is probably not something that is new to you.

You’ve probably been there many times, where you find yourself able and willing to follow Jesus when you know exactly what He’s calling you to and giving you step-by-step instructions. But what about when you’re not sure? What about when either you don’t know what He’s calling you to, or you don’t know what to expect in the thing that He’s calling you to?

Fear of the Unknown

The fear of the unknown is one of the most debilitating things, I personally think, we can face, even on a daily basis.

I have a big tendency to not even attempt something if I don’t know how it will go, or if I don’t know how I will react to the situation.

Spontaneity is definitely NOT my strong suit.

Many times, we look at situations and if we don’t know what to expect or don’t know how it will turn out, we often don’t do it at all.

Not only can that keep us from a lot of what life has to offer, but it can also keep us from a lot of what God has to offer us in this life.

So let’s break down this fear.

In the scientific world, fear of the unknown is known as “xenophobia.” Often times today, it refers to a fear of new people or situations, but the definition goes beyond that to anything that is unfamiliar.

This fear does hold some merit biologically because it is part of our human instincts. It protects us from situations that may harm us physically by recognizing that our body has not faced this type of situation before. Therefore, we have no knowledge that we can face a current situation and survive.

However, with modern living and wifi, we have the ability to nurture this fear and quite honestly not really have to face any new people or circumstances if we don’t want to.

But that’s not what God calls us all to do.

2020

I don’t know if there was as much of a collective fear of the unknown as the one we just came through with the COVID pandemic of 2020. From not knowing what the virus would actually do, to not knowing if you could go to the store and get toilet paper, to not knowing if and when you would go back to work or where your food would come from if you ran out of money.

It was a stressful, fearful year for many of us, and honestly, it was also a big test that many of us, myself included, failed. Thinking back now, I hate how fearful I was and how anxiety-ridden I felt all of the time. I let it control so much of the time that we were in quarantine.

What God Says About Fear of the Unknown

The good news, though, is that God has an entirely different view of our fears. Instead of sitting with them and letting them eat us alive, He wants us to give them to Him.

"Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."
1 PETER 5:7 NKJV

We should be giving all of our concerns to Jesus because He cares about us and can watch over us better than anyone else can.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 NKJV

No matter what happens, whatever situations we are face with that are stressing us out, we should take them to Jesus. After all, He is the only one who can see the future. He’s the only one who will know what happens before it happens, so why wouldn’t we turn to Him when we are anxious about something we are unsure about?

"'Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?"
MATTHEW 6:25-26 NKJV

In this passage, Jesus is telling us that God knows what we need. After all, He did create us. And if He takes care of the birds and gives them what they need to survive, will He not also care for His children, whom He loves so much more than simple birds?

Fear Vs. Trust

It is impossible to have fear and trust at the same time.

Think about it, if we’re trusting in God and His promises, then we have nothing to worry about. If we are fearful about our situation or future, then we’re not trusting in our Creator.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

1 John 3:20 NKJV says, “For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.”

Romans 8:28 NKJV says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

And finally, Romans 8:31 NKJV says, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

So, if we believe that God is all-knowing, and He works all things together for our good when we seek Him, and if He is for us, and nothing can come against us, then WHAT DO WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT?!

God is in control, He is fighting for us, and He will bring us through whatever situations we face.

So Why Do We Still Struggle?

Because it’s an ongoing process. Like I mentioned earlier, fears are a part of our human instinct and they are put in place to keep us safe, but it can be VERY difficult to override those pre-programmed responses, even when we know we should.

When we are faced with fear and stress, our first reaction is often to let our brains play out the circumstance and we end up down a rabbit hole that makes us more fearful and more stressed. Instead, we have to learn to re-wire our brain to recognize that fear and give it to God.

It’s ok to tell Him that we’re struggling. It’s ok to tell Him that we don’t know what to do. It’s even ok to tell Him that we are having trouble giving our fears to Him and letting Him take over. He recognizes our struggles and WANTS us to turn to Him to fix our problems.

He will be there to give us peace, guidance and reassurance along the way as long as we keep trusting Him for every step.