Last week, I wrote about how important it is to not allow fear to stop us from following God’s plan.  I used David’s encounter with Goliath in 1 Samuel 17 as an example to show how to overcome fear.  David teaches us seven keys to win over fear, and this week, I’d like to share the first four.

  1. Guard your thoughts. As I shared earlier, the first key is to guard your thinking so that you dwell on victory instead of defeat.  David thought like a winner, and we can do the same.  As the apostle Paul shared in 2 Corinthians 10:5, we must bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,” ensuring that our thoughts align with God’s thoughts.
  1. Watch your words. Not only did David think like a winner, but he spoke like one too!  As you read through 1 Samuel 17, you see that he consistently spoke words of faith.  Before he approached Goliath, David told King Saul, “The LORD … will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (v. 37).  Then, even right to the giant’s face, David proclaimed, “This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand” (v. 46).  When we’re tempted to fear, we should follow David’s example and just keep speaking words of faith.  The more we talk about victory, the more we drive it home in our hearts!  As Proverbs 18:21 explains, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
  1. Keep your eye on the prize, not on the obstacle.  When David first heard Goliath’s challenge, he couldn’t understand why nobody was standing up to the giant.  He started asking questions about taking on Goliath, but everyone thought he was crazy!  Even his own brother told him he had no business even being at the army camp.  However, I love David’s response: “Is there not a cause?” he insisted (v. 29).  In other words, he was saying, “I’ve got a reason to stand up to this giant.  He’s trying to defy my God, and I’m not going to let him!”  Instead of seeing Goliath’s challenge as a giant-sized problem, David saw it as a giant-sized opportunity!  He knew this was a chance to show just how great his God really was!  In the same way, when you’re fighting against fear, focus on the purpose of your fight.  Instead of looking at the challenge, look at the opportunity to see God’s greatness!
  1. Face your fear. Once we get our head, our mouth, and our eyes in line, the next step is to get our feet on board by stepping into situations that cause us to face our fear.  David did not hesitate when the time came for his fight with the giant.  In fact, he “hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine” (v. 48).  There is no substitute for boldly stepping up to do what you know God wants you to do.  However, you can’t wait for all fear to subside before you take that step. At some point, you have to decide that you’re moving forward even though you may still feel afraid.  When you do, that’s when you’ll see God demonstrate His glory and show Himself strong on your behalf!

Next week, I’ll share the last of the seven keys to overcoming fear. Be strong in the Lord this week and believe to see His greatness!