“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:3 NIV

I’ve walked the same path a hundred times before, but this time, the rustle in the bushes stopped me cold. The stillness of the street at that hour of the morning magnified the sound, sending signals of fear from my mind to my heart.

I immediately began sizing up the fear. What could it be? Is it really something to be afraid of, or am I just overreacting? Should I keep moving forward, speed up, or turn and run the other direction?

By the time I’d sorted through whether this fear was worth fearing, I’d reached the bush. No turning back now, the only move was to forge ahead.

I glanced into the bushes without slowing and discovered the source of my fear. It was a robin, scurrying from branch to branch. Not anything to fear at all.

The Danger of Sizing Up Our Fears

There are times in life when we size up circumstances to see if they are worth fearing. If we decide this ‘thing’ is big enough and scary enough, we have time to turn back. If it’s small, then we may decide we’re strong enough or big enough to face it. Often times, when fear comes upon us, we forget that God is bigger than every fear.

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:3 NIV

Friend, I can say with all certainty from my many experiences battling fear: Analyzing, or sizing up, our fears is a waste of time and energy. It only ends up affecting our peace and joy. The above verse from God’s holy Word tells us what we need to do when we come face to face with fear. If we can turn our thoughts to Him first, fears shrink away.

Is It Real or Imagined? The Difference Between Our Fears

It would be wrong for me to imply that all fears should be ignored. My friend and hope coach Carmen Horne spoke about healthy fears in her short podcast episode, 3 Ways to Combat Fear.

Some threats are very real, and in many cases, our instincts to seek a path to safety should not be pushed aside. Whether what we fear is a real threat or an imagined worst-case-scenario, we can always begin with prayer.

Fear comes in many forms. Most of my fears come from my lack of control in a given situation. I fear the future for my loved ones, my health, or our finances. Through my own journey with the ups and downs of fear, I’ve discovered a pattern. What begins as a seemingly innocent worry will escalate into full blown fear, if I do not address the worry from the beginning. Because the more I let worry linger, the more it grows. Before I realize it, the worry has worked its way into my mind and heart. It has gotten a foothold.

I created this list of verses to help me deal with worry first thing in the morning, before it has a chance to take hold. But rest assured, even if a small worry in your life has already escalated into fear, God’s Word is powerful enough to extinguish fear and replace it with peace.

Best Verses for Winning the Battle Over Fear

Committing a few powerful verses to memory will help get our minds and hearts settled on peace in the face of fear. Here are a few easy, memorable verses we can write down and draw upon when worry has escalated into fear.

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7

I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4

The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. Proverbs 29:25

We can prepare our hearts in advance with these truths. Believing our God is bigger than any fear will lead to a life of freedom from worry and victory in the face of fear.

“For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect.” (1 Corinthians 15:9-10a NIV)

The music blared from the cassette player.

I'm sure the lyrics brought tears to Jesus’ eyes. Not the good kind, either. In fact these band members spoke openly against faith. I knew that. I also knew they promoted a careless, disrespectful lifestyle.

But in my independent teenage mind, none of that mattered.

Looking back now, I realize the damage I was causing. I sometimes reminisce about the past and cringe at some of the choices I made.

I’m sure many of us have memories from the past that bring a heaping load of regret.

Sometimes when those shame-filled times pop into our minds, we quickly pray them away. We dig into God's Word to remind us who we are in Christ today. Because if we don’t, the enemy may try to grab onto those thoughts and consume us with feelings of defeat and discouragement.

Being able to take those thoughts captive is an important part of growing closer to God.

There are also times when the memories of past mistakes serve an important role in our lives.

Paul points this out in 1 Corinthians 15. Those sins of the past reveal God’s power and define our purpose.

Because of where I was and who God is, I am what I am. (Tweet this.)

Paul points out he is not even worthy to be associated with the apostles. Even so, he realizes it is God’s plan to use him, and God is able to do more than Paul can imagine.

Matthew Henry’s commentary puts it this way, “When sinners are, by Divine Grace, turned into saints, God causes the remembrance of former sins to make them humble, diligent, and faithful.”

Have moments of your past been burdening you?

Are you haunted by thoughts of a lifestyle you’d honestly rather forget?

With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can take those thoughts captive. Then we can see them for what they are – a triumph for God’s goodness and grace.

Dear Lord, I am thankful to be rescued and renewed, yet still growing and learning with you each day. Help us today to see our past the way You see it, as a testimony of a life transformed. Allow our focus to be on the journey we are taking with You, and may others be changed by seeing the change in us. Amen.

Blessings,

Kristine

(This post originally appeared on morethanyourself.com February 28, 2015.)