Asking These Two Questions Will Help Reveal Where Your Fear Comes From!
Asking These Two Questions Will Help Reveal Where Your Fear Comes From!In a well-known Bible story about a life-threatening storm on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus posed an intriguing question to His frightened followers: “Where is your faith?” He asked them as the wind roared, the seas rolled, and the ship rocked. Their response came as a question that revealed the hidden reason for their fear and anxiety. They asked, “When he gives a command, even the wind and waves obey him!” (See Luke 8:22-26, NLT).
Their answer to the question Jesus asked revealed that their faith was in the wrong thing. They trusted their knowledge of the sea and their sailing abilities, which were inadequate; instead, they should’ve trusted Jesus. Why didn’t they trust Him? Because they didn’t yet fully realize who He was.
In another familiar biblical scene, Mary is at the empty tomb of Jesus, weeping because his body is gone. Walking up behind her, the resurrected Christ asks this two-in-one question, “Dear woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?” Not recognizing Jesus and thinking He was the gardener, Mary asked Him to tell her where He had put the body of Jesus. Her response was like that of the disciples. While the disciples had put their faith in the wrong thing, so did Mary. She was so desperate to find a dead body that she almost missed seeing a living Savior (See John 20:11-15).
Both questions Jesus asked, “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:25) and “Who are you looking for?” (John 20:15) have to do with His identity. Neither the disciples nor Mary had yet figured out who Jesus was.
Most human fear and worry are due to not yet knowing who Jesus is—by honestly answering the questions Jesus posed, one can pinpoint the source of their fears and doubts. So, if someone is filled with fear and is struggling to love the Lord will all their heart, they can ask themselves the same questions: “Where is my faith?” and “Who am I looking for?”
When one realizes their faith was is in something unreliable and that they have allowed their fears to overshadow their faith, they must look to put their faith in someone who is 100 percent trustworthy and dependable…Jesus.
Adapted from the book, Healing is a Choice, by Steve Arterburn.
