How to Conquer Fear After a Vicious Attack – II. Guard Your Heart
Monday, I blogged about conquering fear through Directing Your Mind on positive things—things that are honorable, lovely, excellent, of good repute and worthy of praise. If we look at the positive things of life instead of at the negative, Paul tells us, that “the God of peace will be with you” (Phil. 4:8-9).
But there’s more. Some horrors are deeper than the mind. Thus, fear still grips us, even when we work to focus on the things that are of good repute and worthy of praise.
That’s why we’re told in Proverbs 4:23 to watch over, or guard, our heart “with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.”
Our hearts represent our core being, the foundational beliefs and commitments of our lives. We’re told to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and not lean on our own understanding (Prov. 3:5). In other words, after an incident like the atrocity in Newtown, Connecticut—one that has no reasonable explanation—what does your heart say? Don’t trust your mind. Go deeper.
Your first response might be that your heart is afraid to drop your child off at school. If you first touch fear, look deeper. Fear creeps in when you’re distracted by the horror of the circumstance.
If you’re a believer in Jesus, you’ll find some other things in your heart. For starters, do you believe the following? Are they foundational?
- The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I do not need to fear evil, because He is with me (Ps 23:1, 4).
- The Lord is my rock, fortress, stronghold, refuge, shield, salvation, and deliverer. I can take refuge in Him when danger threatens (Ps 18:2, 31:2, 62:2, 94:22 . . .).
- All wisdom and power belong to God (Dan. 2:20).
- My God created the heavens and the earth and is sovereign over all—the King of kings and Lord of lords (Gen. 1, 1 Tim. 6:15).
- Nothing is impossible with God (Matt. 19:26).
- Because I am His child, the Lord will be with me always. He will never leave or forsake me (Heb. 13:5).
The list could continue, but this is sufficient to make the point. If we truly believe these things, we will be secure in the confidence that no matter what situation we—or our children—are in, we can know that the Lord—our rock, fortress, refuge, and deliverer—will be there too.
We can join the writer of Hebrews and “confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?’” (Heb. 13:6).
When the mind drifts to thoughts of the negative aspects of a situation and fear begins to rise, simply follow Paul’s exhortation in Ephesians 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
If we continue to carry responsibility for our protection, the fear will remain, but if we give the burden to the Lord’s—with prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving—we will find peace that’s beyond understanding.
God’s peace will guard our hearts and minds because we are resting in Christ Jesus.
He is our rock, fortress, and deliverer, but He is also our Shepherd. He will hold us close when danger is near. We can rest, nestled in His arms.
Have you been tempted to fear after hearing the news of the attack on innocent children? If so, how have you fought the fear?
You can leave a comment by clicking here.