How to Stop Being Afraid of Making the Wrong Decision
By Kristine Brown
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Psalm 56:3
As a child, I loved to climb, and I had three episodes of a broken wrist to prove it. I was usually the first one to take a dare and the girl nominated for the top of the pyramid on the cheer squad. I simply wasn’t afraid to fall.
Of course, that character trait sometimes worked to my disadvantage. Not only with the aforementioned broken bones, but several skinned knees, too. I hadn’t learned how to assess the risk involved before moving forward.
As an adult, I’m better equipped to spot potential danger. Common sense tells me when to stop climbing because I might fall. It even helps predict the possibility of dangers I can’t see. And although this ability to stay safe is important in so many aspects of life, what about when God asks me to take a scary step forward in my faith walk?
David knew all too well what it was like for fear to take over when doing what God called him to do. We know King David as a man who faced Goliath, one of the scariest warriors of all time. He did so with confidence, knowing the risk involved. So we may question the idea that he ever dealt with fear. But in this verse, David expressed his feelings with vulnerability, followed by a bold proclamation of trust.
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Psalm 56:3 NIV
Danger lurked all around him in the form of threats, schemes, and conspiracy. He didn’t say if he was afraid. He said, “when I am afraid.” Then in the very next verse in his song, he showed the difference between letting fear take over and trusting God.
“In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid.” Psalm 56:4
Moving forward in a life of faith involves praying, seeking, and allowing God to take us to new places we never thought possible. Yet so often my sensibility takes control, causing me to analyze every possible outcome. What if I make the wrong decision? What if it doesn’t turn out like I expected? What if I make a mistake?
Giving thought to decisions before diving in headfirst shows wisdom, but overanalyzing what God calls us to do can open our hearts to fear. Those fears grow in our minds when we feed them too much of our time. Instead of fixing our thoughts on the what-ifs, we can find confidence and peace in that faith step by fixing our thoughts on Jesus.
Is God calling you into something new? Do you sense Him leading you to take a faith step that seems unpredictable, and maybe you’re afraid of falling? Let’s agree to let our prayer begin with today’s verse.
As we confess being afraid and proclaim our trust in Him, He will give us what we need - whether it’s strength to take the risk or wisdom to wait. God’s ways are always best. Let’s fix our thoughts on Jesus and trust Him with the process.
Discover more about walking in faith with resources from Kristine Brown’s Life Enrichment Library. You’ll also find weekly encouragement to help you “become more than yourself through God’s Word” at her website, kristinebrown.net. Kristine is the author of the book, Over It. Conquering Comparison to Live Out God’s Plan, and the upcoming companion devotional for teen girls.
Related Resource: Instead of Doing More This Summer, Maybe You Need to Do Less
If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Originally published Tuesday, 31 January 2023.
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