But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?
—Luke 14:28
Scripture:
In this week’s devotions, we’re going to talk about facing and managing your fears. And we’re going to start by talking about how to anticipate fearful situations.
As a Christian, it’s not a matter of if you’ll face circumstances that unsettle or even frighten you; it’s a matter of when. The apostle Paul wrote, “You know how much persecution and suffering I have endured. You know all about how I was persecuted in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—but the Lord rescued me from all of it. Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:11–12 NLT).
Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ will suffer persecution. There’s no avoiding that reality. So, as believers, we can either live in fear of the inevitable persecution we’ll face, or we can prepare for it.
We can prepare for it by rethinking our response to persecution. Instead of giving in to our fears and doing everything we can to avoid or end persecution, we can embrace it for what it is. That’s not to say we need to welcome it or seek it out—or to pretend that it doesn’t hurt and frighten us. But we mustn’t ignore the fact that persecution identifies us with Christ.
Jesus explained to His disciples, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you” (John 15:18–19 NLT).
Living in a place where you’re hated is a scary proposition. Being able to turn to Jesus—who knows exactly what it’s like to live in such a place—makes it less scary.
And that’s what these warnings of inevitable persecution are intended to do: make us turn to the Lord. The good news is that we don’t have to wait for fear to get a foothold in our life before we do something about it. We can be proactive in dealing with it.
We can pour out our hearts to God in prayer. We can tell Him what makes us uneasy. We can ask for His comfort and courage.
We can come to grips with what to expect as followers of Jesus. Jesus Himself warned His disciples, “Don’t begin until you count the cost” (Luke 14:28 NLT). The cost of following Jesus includes facing some frightening experiences. Acknowledging that reality is a key step in preparing for it.
We can arm ourselves with comforting and encouraging truths from Scripture. For example, God promises in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you” (NLT).
You can’t eliminate fear from your life, but you can anticipate and manage it with God’s help.
Reflection question: How can you be proactive in dealing with your fears? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!
