Fear’s Not Getting Candy
Matthew 14:27 — But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!
There’s something about a knock at the door this time of year, isn’t there?
The porch light comes on. Little footsteps make their way up the sidewalk. And when you open the door, there’s a tiny superhero, a princess, or maybe a dinosaur standing there with a bucket in hand, hoping you’ll drop in a little candy.
I mean, how sweet is that?
But you know what else comes knocking?
Fear.
And unfortunately, fear doesn’t limit its visits to October.
Sometimes it shows up as a phone call from the doctor’s office.
Sometimes it looks like bills piling up on the kitchen counter.
Sometimes it comes when your child is hurting, when a relationship falls apart, or when life takes a turn you never saw coming.
And unlike those little trick-or-treaters, fear doesn’t just want a piece of candy.
Fear wants to come inside, make itself comfortable, and convince you it’s there to stay.
And if we’re not careful, we can start living as though it belongs there.
I think sometimes, as Christians, we believe that if we have enough faith, we won’t be afraid.
But that’s just not true.
Fear is an emotion. And we’re human.
We all experience it.
The goal isn’t to pretend we’re never scared.
It’s learning that we can feel afraid without allowing fear to control how we live.
Fear may knock on your door, but it doesn’t have to move into your house.
I think about the disciples in Matthew 14.
They’re out on the water in the middle of the night. The wind is against them. The waves are tossing their boat around.
And then they see someone walking toward them on the water.
They’re terrified!
They think they’re seeing a ghost.
But listen to what Jesus says.
“Don’t be afraid. Take courage. I am here!”
I love that.
Jesus didn’t wait until they felt brave enough to recognize Him.
He didn’t tell them they were silly for being scared.
He spoke to them right in the middle of their fear.
And He reminded them of the one thing that mattered most.
I am here.
The wind was still blowing.
The waves were still moving.
But Jesus was there.
And sometimes, friend, that’s exactly what we need to remember.
God’s presence doesn’t mean we’ll never face something frightening.
It means we don’t have to face it alone.
Maybe there’s something knocking at the door of your heart today.
Something that’s been stealing your peace, keeping you awake at night, or making you afraid of what tomorrow might bring.
You don’t have to pretend it isn’t there.
You can acknowledge it. You can pray about it. You can ask for help.
But you don’t have to hand fear the keys to your life.
Because courage isn’t the absence of fear.
Courage is remembering Who is with you when fear shows up.
So the next time fear comes knocking, remember what Jesus said to those frightened disciples.
“Take courage. I am here!”
And maybe instead of letting fear settle in, you can remind yourself of something far more powerful.
The One who walks on water is walking with you.
Fear may come knocking. But Jesus is already home.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
- What fear has been knocking at the door of your life lately? Have you allowed it to take up more space than it deserves?
- Have you ever felt guilty for being afraid becasue you thought having fun meant you shouldn’t experience fear?
- How does it change your perspective to remember that Jesus spoke to the disciples while the wind and waves were still around them?
- What practical step could you take today to keep fear from controlling your decisions?
- Is there someone in your life who is facing something frightening and needs to be reminded that they are not alone?
QUESTION TO CARRY WITH YOU TODAY
What fear have I been giving room to that I need to surrender to Jesus today?
