Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself?

What do we truly have to fear? Compare a famous quote about fear with what the Bible says.

“We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”

That idea has been repeated over and over since President Franklin D. Roosevelt (known affectionately as FDR) said a version of it to the American people during the Great Depression.

In his first inaugural address on March 4, 1933, President Roosevelt said, “So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”

What can we learn from these words? Can we live our daily lives by this statement? What does the Word of God say about fear?

First off, let’s define the word fear. One of the Merriam-Webster definitions of fear is “to be afraid of: expect with alarm (fear the worst).” Fear is a basic instinct in every human being; it helps us realize when we are in danger so that we may safely get out of the situation.

But fear can also wear us down and paralyze us, which is the danger FDR was addressing. When he said the only thing to fear was fear, the United States was in the midst of one of the hardest struggles that the country has seen. He was trying to encourage the country not to become overwhelmed and disheartened by fear.

What do we as Christians fear?

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and understanding” (Proverbs 1:7). From this verse we learn that the fear of God is an extremely important tool that we must implement in our lives on a daily basis. Why is it then that we should fear God, and how exactly do we fear Him?

This fear fits more with another definition that Merriam-Webster gives: “To have a reverential awe of (fear God).”

First off, we know God is the Creator of the universe and of life on this earth. He started this world, and He also says He will end it (2 Peter 3:10-11). God commands us to fear Him for our own good (Deuteronomy 10:12-13).

As Proverbs 1:7 says, we must fear God to have a grasp of true knowledge. We fear God by keeping His commandments and laws. These laws guide us through our everyday lives.

It’s like when we were children and our parents told us not to touch the stove because it’s hot. Yet most of us touched it anyway, and we got burned. Hopefully we learned from that experience and never touched a hot stove again.

God gives us His laws out of love to protect us, like our parents telling us not to touch the stove. He knows what’s best for us, and breaking those laws is like going up to that stove and touching it. You may think you’re getting away with touching it if you don’t get burned the first couple times; but you’re just setting yourself up for a really bad burn.

God doesn’t want to see us get hurt, and He tells us exactly how to avoid it. But because we have the influence of Satan in our lives, we are going to make mistakes.

Psalm 111:10 states that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom is something that people can spend an entire lifetime trying to gain. But many of them don’t have the proper starting place. Here we learn that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord.

Is there anything else to fear?

The fear of God is a very important part of our lives. Is there anything we as Christians should fear more than God Himself? God controls everything in this universe; He has a plan for us and looks out for us. No matter what happens in our lives, we should understand that God’s plan is at work and that He is doing everything in our best interests, whether we like it at the time or not.

So, in our daily lives we should not fear the problems and worries of this world (Matthew 6:31; 1 John 4:18). We may face many trials in our lives, but as we face these trials, we should also understand that God is there for us, no matter what we are going through (Hebrews 13:5). Also, God promises us that He will never give something that we can’t handle (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Revising Mr. Roosevelt’s quote

So from a biblical standpoint, we could revise Mr. Roosevelt’s quote to say, “There is nothing to fear but the Lord.” He is our provider and the creator of the universe; through His power we exist.

We must understand that the fear of the Lord is the basis for life as a Christian. We have the God of the universe on our side! With Someone like that watching our back and preparing the path for our life, we should feel pretty confident—we can have strong faith in Him.

However, it is important to remember that there also is another being out there just waiting for us to slightly go off that path that God has set up for us. Satan is just waiting for us to go far enough from that path so that he can take us down the path he has planned, which at times may appear easier than God’s path. Don’t be fooled. Satan’s path leads to death.

However, we don’t have to fear Satan and death. If we stay close to God and fear Him, He’ll stay close to us and the devil will flee (James 4:8). Then God will show us the right path throughout our lives.

Allen Holl attends the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Morgantown, West Virginia, congregations of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association. He is planning to transfer to California University of Pennsylvania in the fall, where he will study geology.

For more about fear, courage and God, see:

• Fighting Fear
• Growing in Courage
• The Fear of the Lord Is the Beginning of Wisdom