Fear and Cold Feet

When Simon Peter stepped out of the boat and attempted to walk on the water to Jesus, he was afraid. “And beginning to sink he cried out ‘Lord, save me!'” (Mt 14:30). Fear makes you sink.

When Jesus healed the paralytic, His first word was, “Have courage, son,” and His second,

“Your sins are forgiven” (Mt 9:2). When Jesus lifted the guilt, this lifted the fear which, in turn, lifted the paralysis.

When the disciples fell on their faces at the top of the Mount of Transfiguration, terrified because they had heard the voice of God, Jesus said: “Get up; don’t be afraid” (Mt 17:7). Fear puts you down; faith lifts you up.

The man who brought back the unused talent said: “I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground” (Mt 25:25). His life investment was in a hole in the ground! Fear did it.

Again, it was said of the disciples that they were gathered “with the doors locked because of their fear of the Jews” (Jn 20:19). Fear always puts you behind closed doors; it causes you to become an ingrown person.

Joseph of Arimathea was “a disciple of Jesus—but secretly because of his fear of the Jews” (Jn 19:38). Fear always drives a person underground.

A man I know says that fear gave him cold feet. Prior to the Lord delivering him from fear, his circulation was so bad that he had to wear socks in bed. “Now,” he says, “my circulation is normal. God took away my fear and gave me warm feet.”

Further Study

Mk 4:35-41; 5:25-34

What had Jesus said to His disciples?

What had this caused Him to do?