1. What fears can we face?
Consider the following real-life cases. Nestor and his wife, Maria, wanted to serve in a place where help was needed to preach. * But to do so, they had to learn to live with less. And that scared them. They believed that they would not be really happy leading a simpler life. Biniam is a brother who lives in a country where people oppose our work. When he became a Jehovah's Witness, he realized that he, too, would be persecuted. Although that scared him, there was something that scared him even more: how his family would react when he found out what his new religion was. And finally we have the case of Valeria, who was diagnosed with a very aggressive type of cancer. She wanted to obey what the Bible says about the use of blood, and she struggled to find a surgeon who would respect her decision. Naturally, the idea of dying scared him.
2. Why should we strive to control our fears?
Have you felt any of the fears that the brothers in the previous paragraph experienced? Many of us do. The danger is in not knowing how to control those fears, because they can lead us to make decisions that harm our relationship with Jehovah. And that is what Satan wants. He tries to take advantage of our fears so that we disobey Jehovah's commands, such as preaching the good news (Rev. 12:17). It is true that he is evil, cruel and powerful. But there is something that can help us deal with it. What is it about?
3. What will help us overcome our fears?
Satan will not be able to scare us if we are convinced that Jehovah loves us, that he is on our side (Ps. 118:6). For example, the writer of Psalm 118 went through some very distressing situations. He had many enemies, among whom were very influential people (verses 9 and 10). He sometimes had to endure very strong pressures (verse 13). And he also received severe discipline from Jehovah (verse 18). Despite all this, he said in his song: “I will not be afraid”. Why did he feel so safe? Because he knew that although his heavenly Father had disciplined him, he had all his love. The psalmist was sure that no matter what happened, his loving God would always be ready to help him (Ps. 118:29).
4. What kinds of fears can we overcome if we have the assurance that Jehovah loves us?
Every Christian needs to be convinced that Jehovah loves him personally. Having that security will help us overcome three very common fears: 1) the fear of not being able to provide for the family, 2) the fear of other people, and 3) the fear of dying. The brothers mentioned in the first paragraph were able to overcome their fears because they were convinced that Jehovah loves them.
THE FEAR OF NOT BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT THE FAMILY
5. What situations might the heads of households be concerned about? (See cover photo.)
Christian heads of households take their responsibility to provide for their own very seriously (1 Tim. 5:8). If that's the case for him, maybe during the COVID-19 pandemic he was worried about losing his job. Perhaps he was unsettled by the thought of not being able to feed his family or not being able to pay the rent or the mortgage. And it's possible that he thought that if he lost the job, he wouldn't find another one. Or, like Nestor and Maria, mentioned earlier, you may have thought you couldn't live with less. Using these fears, Satan has caused many to turn from serving Jehovah.
ILLUSTRATION:
A brother, accompanied by his son, casts a fishing net from a dock.
A brother, accompanied by his son, works fishing to support his family. (See paragraph 5).
6. What does Satan want us to believe?
Satan wants us to believe that Jehovah does not care about each one of us and that when we need his help to support our family, he will not care. If we fall into this trap, we may think that we have no choice but to cling to our job at all costs, even if this means disregarding biblical principles.
7. What does Jesus assure us?
No one knows the Father better than Jesus. That is why he tells us with certainty: “His Father already knows what you need even before you ask him” (Matt. 6:8). And Jesus also knows that Jehovah is ready to meet our needs. Christians are part of the family of God. And, since he is the head, we can be sure that he will do precisely what he asks of all heads in 1 Timothy 5:8.
8. (a) What will help us overcome the fear of not being able to provide for the family? (Matthew 6:31-33). b) How can we follow the example of the marriage that appears in the photograph?
If we are convinced that Jehovah loves us and our family, we will not doubt that he will provide for our needs (read Matthew 6:31-33). Jehovah wants to give us what we need, and he does it lovingly and with full hands. When he created the Earth, he did not limit himself to putting on it only what was necessary for us to survive. On the contrary, he lovingly filled it with wonderful things for us to enjoy (Gen. 2:9). Even if sometimes we only have the basics to live from day to day, let us be thankful that we have the basics. Jehovah has been there and has continued to give us “bread for this day” (Matt. 6:11).We must keep in mind that whatever we deprive ourselves of today is nothing compared to what Jehovah will give us now and in the future. This is what Nestor and Mary verified for themselves (Is. 65:21, 22).
ILLUSTRATION:
A sister and her little daughter wash clothes by hand. A married couple from the congregation brings them food.
Jehovah will see to it that we have what we need. Perhaps he does it through our brothers. (See paragraph 8). *
9. What does the example of Nestor and Maria teach you?
Nestor and Maria, from Colombia, enjoyed a very comfortable lifestyle. They say: “We wanted to simplify our lives so that we could do more in the preaching work, but we were afraid of living with less. We thought we wouldn't be happy that way." How did they overcome that fear? They thought of all the times Jehovah had shown them his affection. Confident that Jehovah would always take care of them, they quit their well-paying jobs. In addition, they sold their house and moved to an area of the country where more preaching help was needed. How do you feel about your decision? Nestor says: “We have seen that the words of Matthew 6:33 are indeed fulfilled. We have never lacked for anything. In fact, we are happier now.”
THE FEAR OF OTHER PEOPLE
10. Why is it no wonder that human beings are afraid of other human beings?
Throughout history, human beings have done much harm to each other (Eccl. 8:9). For example, there are those who abuse power, commit violent crimes, insult and threaten their classmates, or treat their own family cruelly. No wonder the human being is afraid of the human being! How does Satan take advantage of that fear?
11, 12. How does Satan take advantage of our fear of other people?
Satan takes advantage of the fear of other people to make us stop preaching or complying with other commands of Jehovah. He has seen to it that some governments ban our work and persecute us (Luke 21:12; Rev. 2:10). In this world controlled by the Devil, many people spread distorted information or malicious lies about Jehovah's Witnesses. Those who believe these lies may mock us or even physically abuse us (Matt. 10:36). And we are not at all surprised by these strategies of Satan; he already used them in the first century (Acts 5:27, 28, 40).
Fear of government opposition is not Satan's only weapon. He also plays on the fear that some have about how his family will react if they become Witnesses. There are those who fear this more than suffering physical abuse. They love their relatives very much and want them to come to know and love Jehovah. It pains them to hear them speak ill of the true God and his servants. But sometimes family members who previously opposed end up accepting the truth. Now, if someone in our family no longer wants to know anything about us, what will we do?
13. Why is it so important to be convinced of Jehovah's love when our relatives reject us? (Psalm 27:10).
How beautiful and comforting are the words of Psalm 27:10! (read it). If we keep in mind how much Jehovah loves us, we will feel safe even if others turn against us and we will be sure that he will reward us for our endurance. Jehovah will take care of our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, and he will do it better than anyone else. This is just what Biniam discovered, mentioned in paragraph 1.
14. What does Biniam's example teach you?
Biniam decided to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses even though she knew that cruel persecution by the authorities awaited her. He recounts: “The persecution by the government was worse than I imagined. But I was more afraid of opposition from my family. I was terrified of disappointing my father and losing the respect of my family for becoming a Witness.” What helped you overcome this fear? Keep in mind that Jehovah loves you and that he always takes care of those who love him. Biniam explains it this way: “I thought about what Jehovah has done to help those who have endured despite financial hardship, prejudice, and mob attacks.I knew that if I took hold of Jehovah's strength, he would bless me. They arrested me many times and even tortured me. In those very distressing moments, I saw with my own eyes that if we are loyal to Jehovah, he helps us a lot.” For Biniam, Jehovah became a real father, and the brothers, a real family.
ILLUSTRATION:
A young brother walks down the street ready to attend a congregation meeting. He looks serene even though his parents are yelling at him from the door of the house.
Even if our relatives turned against us, Jehovah would not stop loving us. (See paragraphs 12 to 14). *
THE FEAR OF DYING
15. Why is it normal to feel afraid of dying?
The Bible affirms that death is an enemy (1 Cor. 15:25, 26). Thinking about death can cause us a lot of anguish, especially if we or our loved ones are very sick. Why are we afraid to think about death? Because Jehovah created us with the desire to live forever (Eccl. 3:11). But a reasonable degree of fear of death can protect us . For example, it may prompt us to watch our diet, exercise, avoid unnecessary risks, and go to the doctor and take medication when necessary.
16. How does Satan take advantage of our natural fear of dying?
Satan knows that we value life highly. That is why he asserts that we are willing to sacrifice anything—even our friendship with Jehovah—in order to stay alive.— Job 2:4, 5. But how wrong is he! Since he “has the means to cause death,” he takes advantage of our natural fear of death in order to make us turn our backs on Jehovah .—Heb. 2:14, 15. Sometimes Satan uses some people to threaten us and tell us that if we don't give up our faith, they will kill us. Or he may use a medical emergency to cause us to fall and fail Jehovah. We may be pressured by non-Witness doctors or family members to accept a blood transfusion, which is against God's law.Or someone may try to talk us into accepting treatment that violates biblical principles.
17. According to Romans 8:37-39, why shouldn't we be afraid to die?
None of us wants to die, but we know that if we were to lose our lives, Jehovah would still love us (read Romans 8:37-39). Jehovah's friends who die live on in his memory, as if they still existed. —Luke 20:37, 38. And he is willing to bring them back to life (Job 14:15). Jehovah has paid a very high price for us to have eternal life (John 3:16). We know very well how much he loves us and cares for us. That is why, when we are sick or threatened with death, we do not turn our backs. Rather, we turn to him for comfort, wisdom, and strength. That is exactly what Valeria and her husband did (Ps. 41:3).
18. What does Valeria's example teach you?
Valeria was diagnosed with a rare and very aggressive type of cancer when she was 35 years old. Let's see how Jehovah's love helped her overcome her fear of her death. She recounts: “The diagnosis I was given changed our lives overnight. The only alternative was to have major surgery. I went to many surgeons, but none wanted to operate without blood. She was scared, but since she wanted to obey God, there was no way she was going to accept a transfusion! All my life Jehovah had shown me so much affection…, now was my chance to show my love for him. Every time I was given bad news, I felt stronger not to let Satan have his way.I wanted Jehovah to be proud of me. Some time later they operated on me without blood, and everything went very well. I continue to struggle with my health problems, but Jehovah has never stopped giving us what we need. For example, the weekend before I was told he had cancer, we studied the article 'Fight Life's Blows Courageously' at the meeting. * It came to us like a glove. We read it over and over again. Thanks to articles like this and our good spiritual routine, my husband and I stayed calm and balanced and were able to make good decisions.”
WE OVERCOME OUR FEARS
19. What will happen very soon?
Throughout the world there are brothers who, with the help of Jehovah, have overcome very difficult situations and have managed to stand against the Devil. (1 Pet. 5:8, 9). You can too. Very soon, Jehovah will indicate to Jesus and those who rule with him that it is time to “undo the works of the Devil” (1 John 3:8). After that, God's servants on earth will see this promise fulfilled: “You will not be afraid of anything, nor will you have reason to be terrified” (Isa. 54:14; Mic. 4:4). Until that day comes, let us strive to overcome our fears.
20. What will help us overcome our fears?
We have to trust more and more that Jehovah loves and protects his servants. What will help us achieve it? Reflect on how Jehovah has already cared for his servants and talk about it with others. Let us also keep in mind how he has helped us when we have been through distressing situations. With Jehovah's help, we can overcome our fears (Ps. 34:4).
HOW CAN JEHOVAH'S LOVE HELP US OVERCOME THE FOLLOWING FEARS?
The fear of not being able to provide for the family.
If we are convinced that Jehovah loves us and our family, we will not doubt that he will provide for our needs. Jehovah wants to give us what we need, and he does it lovingly and with full hands. When he created the Earth, he did not limit himself to putting on it only what was necessary for us to survive. On the contrary, he filled it with great love with wonderful things for us to enjoy.
The fear of other people.
If we keep in mind how much Jehovah loves us, we will feel safe even if others turn against us and we will be sure that he will reward us for our endurance. Jehovah will take care of our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, and he will do it better than anyone else.
The fear of dying.
Jehovah's friends who die live on in his memory, as if they still existed. And he is willing to bring them back to life. Jehovah has paid a very high price for us to have eternal life. We know very well how much he loves us and he takes care of us. That is why, when we are sick or threatened with death, we do not turn our backs. Rather, we turn to him for comfort, wisdom, and strength.
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