Fear vs. Faith

Mark 5:21-43, Jesus heals the hemorrhaging woman and raises Jairus' daughter from the dead.

What a great story. I had to teach about this one at Vacation Bible School last night. at the core is Mark 5:36;

 "³⁶Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."


There's believing and then there's believing. I can believe there's a God as easy as I can believe there are major league baseball teams inn the U.S. I can believe that Jesus is God as easy as I can believe that the Yankees are one of the most successful baseball teams. Ah, but do I believe the Cubs will finally win the pennant? The kind of belief Jesus is talking to Jairus about isn't just acknowledging a fact, it's TRUSTING a person.


"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder." James 2:19


What Jesus asks us to do is to trust Him. It's kind of like He's telling Jairus, "Hey, chill, I got this!"


"Don't be afraid; just believe," Don't be scared, trust Me. Replace your fear with faith. 

This reinforces one of my favorite verses,

1 John 4:18
"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

I've argued this point when it comes to negative campaigning in politics, hope, optimism, empathy and compassion will always be progressive, where as insecurity, anger and suspicion tend to be regressive. But it goes WAY beyond politics, it's about living your daily life with confidence because you know that you're living in God's grace and love.

So the next time you're anxious and doubtful, remember Mark 5:36, Jesus says, "Chill, I got this."

Here's possibly the all time best fear vs. faith verse:

Joshua 1:9
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."