Faith and Fear

There is a Christian tradition that talks about the train of “Fact – Faith – Feelings,” where facts are the engine and feelings are the caboose. But this is confusing at best, and potentially misleading. (See https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/fact-faith-feeling.) I’m toying with the idea of it being like a Venn diagram where our goal is to live in the center where all three meet and inform and confirm one another, rather than taking any of them on their own. (I haven’t thought through all the implications of that approach, though I’m sure it’s not perfect.)

Some Christians teach or imply that if you have enough faith, you will never wrestle with fear or anxiety. However, this does not seem to be the teaching of Scripture. Psalm 56:3 says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.” In his Daily Treasury from the Psalms, Charles Spurgeon wrote about this verse:

“David was no braggart—he does not claim never to be afraid, and he was no brutish stoic free from fear… He feared, but that fear did not fill the whole area of his mind, for he adds, ‘I will trust in thee.’ It is possible, then, for fear and faith to occupy the mind at the same moment… It is a blessed fear that drives us to trust. Unregenerate fear drives from God; gracious fear drives to him.”

In a similar vein, Brennan Manning wrote:

“We often presume that trust will dispel the confusion, illuminate the darkness, vanquish the uncertainty, and redeem the times. But the crowd of witnesses in Hebrews 11 testifies that this is not the case. Our trust does not bring final clarity on this earth. It does not still the chaos or dull the pain or provide a crutch. When all else is unclear, the heart of trust says, as Jesus did on the cross, ‘Into your hands I commit my spirit’ (Luke 23:46)” (Ruthless Trust, 6).

Faith doesn’t preclude fear, but it should inform what we do with our fears. It’s easy to get lost in our feelings and forget the truths of Scripture and the promises of God. We may believe that God is present with us and is sovereign over the world, and yet still struggle to know how to trust Him in the midst of difficult circumstances.

Multiple times recently I have heard people say that in Scripture, “Do not fear” is not a command to obey but an invitation to remember God’s presence and care. He invites us to come to Him with all our fears, and to walk alongside the One whose “yoke is easy and [His] burden is light” (Matt. 11:30), rather than trying to carry our burdens alone.

I believe we can learn to turn to God with our fears, though I admit I’m not very good at that. My brain gets stuck in a vicious cycle of anxious thoughts because I want to control the outcome of some situation. I have to remind myself frequently that I am neither omnipotent nor omniscient, but I can trust the One who is. Spurgeon noted on Psalm 55, “We can have no better ground of confidence. The Lord is all, and more than all, that faith can need as the foundation of peaceful dependence. Lord, increase our faith evermore.”

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved” (Ps. 55:22).

© 2025 Dawn Rutan. Image edited from pixabay.com original. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

The Power of Place

The Power of Place, by Daniel Grothe, is a book I wish had been around 50 years ago. Perhaps it could have reduced some of the unnecessary mobility of our culture. Here are just a few quotes:

“Published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the findings suggest that ‘moving is associated with lower levels of overall wellbeing, higher stress levels, and fewer positive social relationships. Frequent moves have a particularly detrimental effect for adolescents, who’ve been shown to have lower test scores and graduation rates, fewer friends, and higher drug and alcohol use’… APA researchers discovered that ‘frequent relocations in childhood are related to poorer well-being in adulthood,’ because the participants in the study were found to have ‘fewer quality social relationships as adults’” (ch. 2).

“‘Stay put,’ Benedict said. But sadly, too many have read this as a prohibition—‘Thou shalt not leave!’—when they should have read it as a protection… There is a sort of calculus at play here that only makes sense in the kingdom of God: those who are willing to lose the freedom of a thousand different options will find they have everything they need right in front of them” (ch. 2).

“Maybe one of the least glamorous things you can do with your life is to stay in the same place with the same group of people—friends, a spouse, a handful of extended family, a local church community—for a really long time until you die. And while it is unglamorous, it may well be the most powerful this you can do” (ch. 5).

“Worship, which was always a communal act in ancient Israel’s history, has now been privatized and commoditized. We have our podcasts and YouTube channels. We have our favorite internet pastors… Indeed, we have discovered we can get our sermons and songs without having to trifle with other saints and sinners… But we must be careful not to let our technology outpace our theology. There is a sad irony: God who in Jesus became incarnate now has a people being tempted to live lives of disincarnation” (ch. 11).

As one who experienced a lot of uprooting as a child—7 changes of schools in 9 years—I can testify that it was not only not ideal, but even traumatic. Although there were some things I liked about each place we lived, I always longed for stability of place and of friendships. That contributed significantly to the fact that I have now been in the same house, same church, and same employer (though different roles) for the past 28 years.  There is much to be said for having a consistent community of support for the long haul. There have been times of conflict in community, but relationships are strengthened when people learn to work out their differences.

Loving one another is not meant to be limited to the nuclear family, nor to a short-term acquaintance. We are made to be in relationship for the long term—indeed, for eternity within the Body of Christ. I think some people imagine eternity as sitting alone with Jesus watching the sunset. I’ve only recently come to realize that one of the best things we’ll get to experience is being fully known and fully loved, not only by God but by one another (1 Cor. 13:12). After an earthly lifetime of relational disruptions, disconnections, and discontentment, it will be wonderful to simply enjoy being together without distrust or fear of loss. Imagine the depth of relationships available where there are no time constraints!

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Gal. 5:13-14).

© 2025 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV. Cover image courtesy of Amazon.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.