Fear is one of the most formidable weapons the enemy uses to paralyze and abort the destiny of God’s children. Fear is one of the greatest causes of failure in society.

Some are afraid of failing, afraid of the price to pay, afraid of giving, afraid of illness, afraid of falling into sin, afraid of the devil, afraid of criticism, opposition, afraid of poverty—or even afraid of prosperity.

The Two Greatest Forms of Fear

The two most formidable types of fear are the fear of rejection and the fear of failure.

The fear of rejection leads you to avoid trying, to conform to popular opinion, and to never stand out. It pushes you to become a photocopy of others. It stems from the conditional love you received from your parents.

When you did something they disapproved of, they would withdraw their love, and you interpreted this as rejection. This fear of being rejected again leads you to constantly seek validation from others for everything you do. It drives you to conform and to avoid disturbing established traditions. As a pastor recently put it so well: “He who doesn’t disturb, conforms.”

This fear of rejection is expressed through questions like: “What will people think of me?”, “What if others reject me?”, or “What if they don’t approve of me?”

The fear of failure, on the other hand, prevents you from taking risks. You want to change, to go further, but this question keeps coming up in your mind: “What makes you think you’ll succeed this time?” or “What if it doesn’t work?”

Fear causes you to constantly postpone what you should do today. It leads you to choose the status quo, to stay in your comfort zone, waiting patiently for luck to come your way or for every light to turn green before stepping outside.

You will always have a good excuse to hide behind in order to justify your fear, but know this: chronic fear can become an offense to God. It implies that you believe God is not with you, or that He is incapable of making you succeed.

The Origins of Fear

The development of courage begins with understanding the psychological roots of fear. Every newborn baby has only two fears: the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. All other forms of fear we experience as adults are learned as we grow up. These fears mainly stem from the often destructive criticism and warnings of our parents—even when they meant well.

How Do Different Types of Fear Develop?

When a curious child starts trying new things and does them wrong, the parent scolds and punishes them, creating an image of fear within the child—associated with trying something new or different. As adults, we experience this as the fear of failure, the fear of taking risks, the fear of making mistakes, or the fear of loss.

Fear stems from what you do not see.
Every time you feel afraid, it means there’s something you don’t understand or see. Fear is born out of ignorance.

Moses had every reason to be afraid when standing before Pharaoh, the most powerful king of that time. But the Bible says he was not afraid to face the visible king (Pharaoh), because he kept his eyes on the invisible King, the Lord of hosts.

“By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.” Hebrews 11:27

Satan is called the prince of darkness. The word “prince” means “first,” and the word “darkness” is also translated from the Hebrew as “ignorance.” Thus, Satan maintains his reign in you through your ignorance; he reigns in all areas where you lack knowledge. But when you discover and experience the knowledge of the Truth, you become truly free. Jesus said:

“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

It is not the truth itself that sets you free, but knowing the truth. Truth has existed from the beginning. In other words, ignorance is very costly. The word “knowledge” here, from the Hebrew YADA, implies intimacy, communion, and close relationship.

You only truly know what you live or apply regularly. If you’re not living it, then you merely know about it—but you don’t really know it, because it’s not yet your daily experience.

Don’t let fear conquer you! Be victorious—not a victim—of fear. Fix your eyes on the invisible King, not the visible mountains standing in your way. Focus on promises, not problems; on opportunities, not obstacles.

Declare your confidence in the Word of God today, and receive the courage to move forward by fixing your eyes on Christ, the author and perfecter of your faith…

This text is an excerpt from the book “365 Days at the Master’s Feet”, written by several French-speaking authors, with Jérémy Sourdril as the principal contributor.

We invite you to read the following article: “REFUSE TO ARGUE.”

OVERCOME FEAR. OVERCOME FEAR. OVERCOME FEAR. OVERCOME FEAR.