Faith over Fear

​When it comes to believing in God and trusting Jesus there can be a world of difference. One area in life where we see a difference is in the sphere of fear.

There are many people that say they believe in Jesus but still have the theme of fear feature in their thinking and beliefs, which impacts how they live.

I asked Chat GPT to answer my question, “How many times does Jesus tell disciples to be afraid of the future in Gospels of Mark, Matthew, John, and Luke?” This is what it said:

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In the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John, Jesus never explicitly tells His disciples to be afraid of the future. Instead, He frequently encourages them not to fear and to trust in God's provision and plan. Below are examples of this theme across the four Gospels:
1. Matthew

• Matthew 6:34: "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
• Matthew 10:28: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."
• Matthew 14:27: When Jesus walks on water, He says, "Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid."

2. Mark

• Mark 5:36: To Jairus, whose daughter had died, Jesus says, "Don’t be afraid; just believe."
• Mark 6:50: When the disciples are terrified upon seeing Jesus walking on water, He says, "Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid."
• Mark 13:7: Regarding end times, Jesus says, "When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come."

3. Luke

• Luke 12:4-7: Jesus reassures His disciples, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more... Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."
• Luke 12:32: Jesus says, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom."

4. John

• John 14:1: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me."
• John 16:33: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Summary
Across these Gospels, Jesus consistently teaches faith over fear. He acknowledges that challenges, persecution, and uncertainty will come, but His instructions are to trust in God and not succumb to fear. There are no instances where He advises His followers to be afraid of the future. Instead, He repeatedly emphasizes courage, trust, and hope.
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There you have it. Jesus talks about faith over fear. So quit allowing fear to steal your hope and joy. Follow Jesus and the wise words from 1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

Author

Josh has been on staff at Lesmurdie Baptist Church since 2018. He is married to Marnel and they have 4 children together - Azaliah, Ezra, Zoelle, and Zion. What drives Josh is seeing people put their faith into action so Jesus can change lives in the here and now.