“Fear not, for I am with you.” (Isaiah 41:10 ESV)

My wife and I were at a crossroads two years ago that defined our faith.

She was diagnosed with cancer. The word itself can send chills up and down your spine. It stops you in your tracks. It puts life on hold.

Fear tried to show up, as it often does when cancer strikes. If you’ve been there, you know what I mean.

Miraculously, God spared us from fear. I can’t explain it. I can’t say our faith was so well grounded it couldn’t be shaken by the news of cancer. However, I do know that was part of the reason.

So you don’t assume we are some super-faith couple, I will tell you we experienced many other hard emotions. Like trauma, discouragement, heartache and sorrow. Thankfully not all at once!

We had a choice. Would we let God into our experience, or would we bear cancer on our own?

We invited God to walk with us. We experienced his presence through his Holy Spirit, the Bible, each other and hundreds of other friends. We were not alone.

Cancer isn’t the only thing that can bring fear into our lives. I could list a dozen other things and so could you.

Fear paralyzes our faith. Other than unforgiveness, I can’t think of anything that puts an instant deep-freeze on our faith.

Why is that?

Fear is most often tied to the unknown. My wife and I had never done cancer before, so as we walked through it, we rarely knew what was next.

Your teenager is out with the car at night. You fear what could happen out on the road. When he pulls into the driveway, there’s immediate relief.

Things are unstable at work and many co-workers have been laid off. Could you be next? How will you provide for your family? Where will the next job come from? An unknown future can cause fear.

The doctor ran tests and you won’t get the results for three days. Those three days can be agonizing if you let fear take over. It’s hard not to!

The key to chasing out fear is to invite Jesus into your experience. Then your faith can thrive. It’s the only way.

Jesus himself said, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20 ESV)

He comes into our situation with his perfect love. Then we experience this truth: “Perfect love casts out fear.” (I John 4:18 ESV) God is The Perfect Love that expels fear from our life.

When you live in God’s perfect love, there’s no room for fear.

The darkest, most fearful experiences don’t have to be absent the love of Christ. He will banish your fear.

Invite Jesus into your fears. Please don’t go down this road without him.

(From my upcoming devotional, Your Life With God: 30 Days of Faith. Releasing January 1.)