The Lies Fear Tells and the Truth We Need

Have you ever wrestled with fear? It’s a root emotion that crops up looking like anxiety sometimes and depression at other times. In my own life it mostly looks like anxiety. No matter how fear looks in our lives, one constant is that it lies.

Have you ever felt like if your faith could only be stronger, you’d feel more brave?  I’m learning that even the most faith-filled people are vulnerable, just like the rest of us.  

The prophet Elijah is an icon of faith.  This guy saw a dead boy raised to life, called down fire from heaven in an epic standoff between the God of scripture and the pagan god Baal (and then destroyed hundreds of Baal’s prophets), saw the Lord control the weather and even courageously stood up to wickedness in the royal family.  He was brave. 

“Times of greatest trials often follow times of greatest victory.” - Pastor Chuck Smith

It seems like knowing God is real would be enough to shield us from fear and anxiety and depression. But that’s not always the case. 

Bold and courageous through countless times of opposition, it was a threat from Queen Jezebel - being told of a hit on Elijah’s life - that sent fear rushing in on him. Elijah was human, just like we are. 

When I read his story here in 1 Kings, I see a pattern that I know I tend to fall into all too often.  But I also see some truths that can help pull us out of our fear.  I see how God - who made us body, spirit and mind - comes to our place of need in every area of who we are.  He loves us that much!

Fear tells us to avoid. 

“Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life...” 1 Kings 19:3

I’m ready for a rest and a pat on the back after I walk for half an hour.  Elijah ran to a place over 80 miles from where he was, to get away from what felt like a dangerous situation for him. Fear is not constructive.  Avoidance feels like the only option, but we somehow can’t ever manage to get far enough away from our fear that it won’t follow us. 

Fear tells us to withdraw.

“But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness...” 1 Kings 19:4

We have an enemy. And he wants us to isolate, because we’re more vulnerable to his attack when we’re alone. God made us for community, because he works in our lives through other people much of the time. Fear sucks the energy for relationships out of us sometimes. (When I’m in a low place, sometimes I have to push myself to get together with people, and every single time, I am so glad I did.)

Fear tells us all hope is lost.

“And he asked that he might die, saying ‘It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life...” 

1 Kings 19:4

Have you ever had a day when you’ve been so discouraged that you couldn’t even get out of bed? Elijah could relate. He lay down under a tree and felt ready to give up. Fear, anxiety, depression - these feelings are so exhausting. 

Elijah wasn’t really pursuing God in this hard place, but the thing that I love so much is that God was pursuing him. That’s true for me and for you, I bet. Sometimes, we’ve been so busy running from fear that we forget to run toward God. But his love and compassion for each of us is so great that he comes to us.  That never stops blowing my mind. 

In his perfect kindness and wisdom, God knows how to take care of us completely. 

Mind, body and spirit. 

God turns Elijah’s eyes back toward truth by dealing with him lovingly in several key areas. 

Our bodies need care when things are hard. “...an angel touched him and said, ’Arise and eat.’” 

1 Kings 19:5

Comfort food.  And some rest. Those two things fix an awful lot of problems.  God literally sent Elijah food and water by way of an angel. God knows that we need to take care of our bodies.  Sometimes we push ourselves so hard that we suffer exhaustion.  

It’s interesting to me that the very first way God comes to Elijah’s side is with a meal. I’ve had times when I felt overwhelmed and a friend sent me a meal, and I’ll tell you right now, those meals are every bit as much from Jesus.  It’s hard to get back into game mode when you’re tired and hungry. It’s ok to rest and eat and take care of yourself. 

Our spirit needs God’s presence.

Elijah eventually went from the wilderness to a cave at the mount of God, where generations before, the Lord had brought his presence and given his people his covenant. I imagine that it felt like a place that his heart needed to be, a place where he could feel close to God. He felt really discouraged about the way God’s people had forsaken the covenant with the Lord, and it seemed like nobody was left who was following the Lord. 

God asked him what he was doing there. Do you ever wonder why God asks questions when he knows all the answers?  I think our answers reveal something to us that God wants to draw out. 

Elijah told God that the people had broken their covenant and that basically God was in some big trouble because Elijah was the only one he had left, and he was about to lose his life. Fear is always telling us a story, and it’s always being dramatic. God’s presence focuses our spirit on the true story. But sometimes we get stuck in our fear-story. 

I love what happens next. It’s one of my very favorite passages. 

Instead of telling Elijah something, God shows him something. 

“And he said, ‘Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.’ And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.” 1 Kings 19:11-12

The God who had once appeared to Moses on that mountain  as a devouring fire did not come there that day to Elijah in fire. The God who thunders and shakes the earth, who speaks from burning bushes and calms stormy seas with his voice did not bring his presence to a broken prophet in a great show of might that day.  

He was there in the whisper. When our spirits are heavy, He is gentle and tender and full of compassion.  

Our minds need the true story.

It’s kind of easy to get judgy with Elijah for what happens next.  God asks him the identical same question - after this great awe-inspiring moment at the mountain - and Elijah gives him the identical same answer.  It’s like he didn’t learn a single thing from that whole display. 

Unfortunately, I’m not much different.  We get these stories stuck on repeat sometimes.  Fear will do this to us like almost nothing else.  God is so good, though.  He is the One with the true story.  We need to know the truth, so we can get unstuck. 

What God doesn’t do when we’re stuck is lecture or condemn.  He never shames us for our fears.  He just speaks truth to us.  For Elijah, it was a conversation at the entrance of a cave.  For us, it’s God’s Word where we find the real story, the one that sets us free. 

God gave Elijah three truths that are also true for you and me. (I’ve distilled them down from verses 15-18.)

1. You’re not alone.

2. Your life has purpose.

3. You have people in your corner. 

We can’t help when fear comes in.  It sometimes creeps up and other times it clobbers us out of the blue. It can knock us off balance.  But the encouraging news is that the Lord loves us - body, mind and spirit.  He sees when we’re hurting, and he comes to us in exactly the way we need.

We will have easier days and harder days, but the truth remains constant.  When you’re heart is overwhelmed, remember to call out the lies your fear is telling you.  Stay connected, even if you feel like you want to isolate. Take gentle care of yourself (even have some carbs - it’s biblical!). Look for God’s presence, because he is there. Speak the truth to yourself.  And remember you’re not alone, your life has purpose, and you have people in your corner.  I’m one of them!