When Fear Threatens to Paralyze Us
What are you afraid of? It’s a question most of us would rather avoid, especially when we’ve managed to push our fears aside for a moment. Yet understanding our fears—and more importantly, learning how to face them with courage—is essential to living faithfully as followers of Christ.
Fear itself isn’t sinful. In fact, some fear is wisdom in the face of danger. The fear of God—standing in awe of Him and caring deeply about pleasing Him—actually brings wisdom and life. But there’s another kind of fear that whispers lies: “You’re going to fail. This is hopeless. Nothing will change.” This paralyzing fear keeps us from doing what God has called us to do.
The good news? We don’t have to stay enslaved to fear. God calls us to bold, courageous action regardless of our circumstances.
As we begin our journey through the book of Exodus, we find God’s people in a situation filled with fear, oppression, and overwhelming pressure. The Israelites had grown from 70 people to over 2 million during their 400 years in Egypt—a miraculous fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham.
But a new pharaoh rose to power, one “to whom Joseph meant nothing” (Exodus 1:8). This pharaoh feared the growing Israelite population and dealt “shrewdly” with them by enslaving them with forced labor. When oppression failed to slow their growth, he escalated to genocide, ordering the murder of all Hebrew baby boys.
Enter two ordinary women: Shiphrah and Puah, Hebrew midwives whose names mean “beauty” and “splendor.” When Pharaoh commanded them to kill Hebrew boys during childbirth, these women made a courageous choice that would change history.
Three Truths About Biblical Courage
1. Because God Is Faithful, We Can Be Courageous
God’s faithfulness is the foundation of courage. Without it, courage would just be foolishness. During those 400 years in Egypt, there were no prophets, no angels, no visions—just the words of their ancestors to cling to. Yet God was working even in the silence.
We’re in a similar waiting period today. It’s been 2,000 years since Christ ascended to heaven, yet the church is thriving globally with 2.3 billion people professing faith in Jesus. God hasn’t abandoned His people. He’s with us, populating heaven, and we’re waiting for Christ’s return.
Just as the Israelites waited for deliverance from slavery, we wait for deliverance from sin and this broken world. God is faithful even in times of silence, and we can trust His timing with an eternal perspective.
2. Faithfulness Provokes Opposition
When Pharaoh’s oppression failed to break the Israelites, he became more ruthless. The more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied. Their faithfulness to God provoked greater opposition.
We face opposition today too:
Satanic opposition: We’re in spiritual warfare (1 Peter 5:8)
External opposition: There are costs for telling truth and living godly lives
Internal opposition: Division among believers and distraction from our mission
Personal opposition: Complacency, sin, and the things that hinder us
When we desire to live faithfully, we should expect pressure. But we can refuse to let fear, distraction, or persecution pull us away from God’s purposes.
3. Courage Is Fearing God More Than Fearing Man
The midwives “feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live” (Exodus 1:17). They defied the most powerful person in the world, knowing the likely punishment was death.
To fear God means:
Reverence for His holiness
Loyalty to Him as Lord
Willingness to obey God over any other person
Understanding that God will hold us accountable
Recognizing God as the highest authority
When God’s commands and human commands collide, there should be no confusion about whom to obey.
Courage is not the absence of fear, but the presence of faith. The midwives felt fear—they just obeyed anyway. And God rewarded their courage with kindness, giving them families of their own and continuing to bless His people.
What Do We Need Courage for Today?
Biblical courage isn’t just for dramatic moments of persecution. It’s needed in everyday faithfulness:
The courage to serve: Every time you serve, you inconvenience yourself and open yourself to criticism. Yet 1 Peter 4:10 calls us to use our gifts to serve others as faithful stewards of God’s grace.
The courage to evangelize: Sharing the gospel with coworkers, family, and friends takes courage. Acts 1:8 promises we’ll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us to be witnesses.
The courage to disciple: Making disciples—teaching others to obey Christ—requires vulnerability and perseverance, even when we feel inadequate.
The courage to give: Giving cheerfully and sacrificially (2 Corinthians 9) means trusting God to provide rather than clinging to financial security.
The courage to persevere: Running the race with perseverance (Hebrews 12) means showing up day after day, even when things are difficult.
Action Steps: Cultivating Courage in Your Life
Identify your fears honestly: What are you really afraid of? Write them down. Are these fears rooted in truth or lies? Are they about God’s character or your circumstances?
Meditate on God’s faithfulness: Spend time reflecting on how God has been faithful in your life and throughout Scripture. Keep a journal of His faithfulness to build your courage.
Choose one area to act courageously this week: Is God calling you to serve, share the gospel, give, or persevere in a difficult situation? Take one concrete step of obedience despite your fear.
Pray for supernatural love: The motivation behind all courage is love—love for God and love for others. Pray daily: “Lord, put love in my heart for You and for those around me.”
Remember you’re not alone: The Holy Spirit dwells in you, producing the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). You have God-given strength to act in faith.
Conclusion: A Mindset Available to All
Courage isn’t reserved for heroes or extraordinary moments. It’s a mindset available to every believer, every day. Like Shiphrah and Puah, we’re called to fear God more than we fear people, circumstances, or consequences.
The same God who blessed two ordinary midwives for their courageous obedience is the same God who empowers you today. He hasn’t changed. His promises remain true. And He’s calling you to bold action in whatever situation you find yourself in.
What fears have been holding you back from obeying God? What would it look like to take one courageous step of faith today?
Remember: Because God is faithful, we can be courageous. Faithfulness will provoke opposition, but courage means fearing God more than fearing man.
The question isn’t whether you’ll face fear—you will. The question is: whom will you fear more?