Fear and Faith, by Trillia Newbell
12/25 | Started 03.01.21 • Finished 03.21.21
Selected this from my theological TBR shelf, not really knowing what to expect. Newbell walks the reader through seven fears to which we are apt to give ourselves over: fear of man, fear of the future, fear of other women, fear of tragedy, fear of not measuring up, fear of physical appearance, and fear of sexual intimacy.
Ultimately we fight fear by trusting in the Lord and fearing Him.
At the end of each chapter, Newbell graciously point us to the one who has taken our fears on himself and that we no longer need to be held captive by them. She then spends two chapters laying out why we can trust God and what it means to fear the Lord. But what do we do when our fears come true? Newbell again points us to trust in the God who has our best interests at heart and to the hope of the gospel. She gives several examples of women who have endured trials in these areas of fear and have learned to trust God through them.
When your fears come true, you must remember Jesus. He has not left you to weather the storm alone. That doesn't mean there won't be a storm, but He will be with you through it.
Newbell then closes the book with a chapter on how to grow in the fear of the Lord, which is so helpful. Many of us know we are supposed to do this, but 1) we don't know what it means to fear the Lord, so 2) we don't know how to grow in it! She shows us that we do this through confession, remembering his promises, and not fearing other things. I appreciated Newbell's honesty about her own struggles with fear, and it was encouraging to read stories of how other women have weathered their fears with trust in the Lord. I would, of course, recommend this book for anyone wanting to know more about the fear of the Lord and faith in his sovereign plan for your life.