I believe, one of the reasons anxiety has skyrocketed in this season of pandemic we’re all in—is that there is so much happening in and all around us that is completely out of our control. Anxiety comes into play when we try to take those things that are out of our control, and we try to control them ourselves.

In many ways, life as we’ve known it has been completely turned on its head. For example, now we wear masks hoping to prevent getting a virus, or giving it to someone else. We social distance six feet apart. We avoid social gatherings, and anywhere there is a crowd. We shut down businesses, schools, and churches. We do it all in the name of infection prevention, but I have to ask . . . have we gone too far? Now, I’m not trying to get into a debate with anyone about these sorts of things, but I do want to take a closer look at how quickly we can allow fear to take control and start dictating our thoughts, decisions, and lifestyle choices.

You see, I believe that more and more we are all coming to realize just how little control we actually have. For the past several months, we’ve taken hit after hit. Things we’ve grown accustomed to, and come to depend on, are being taken from us right and left. As a result, we’ve quickly come to realize, many of us, just how much or how little we’ve been trusting God with our lives when what we’ve been putting our trust in is being revealed like never before!

How many of us are just coming to realize now how much we’ve come to rely on our sports, entertainment, schools, government, health, jobs, homes, salons, etc.—to make us feel secure, stable, strong, and good about ourselves? As each of these, and other mainstay societal towers have come crashing down during this pandemic season, I would venture to say we’ve all been shaken to the core on some level. Thus, the reason anxiety and fear are at an all-time high.

In all honesty, anything that you have come to rely on other than God to be your safety net, has really given you a false sense of security. If you find that you become anxious, afraid, or even angry at the thought of that security being taken away—you know you have an idol! You have begun to worship something created, rather than the Creator Himself!

We all struggle with this to some degree. We believe that our idols will save us, or at least give us some level of security and peace, and so we start doing everything we can to protect our idols to control our circumstances. Ultimately, aren’t we doing this because we don’t trust God to protect and save us? Our family? Our neighbor? This might sound harsh, but I bring this up because I want to save you the pain and heartache that comes with being in bondage to fear.

Let me ask you this: do you think that, maybe, the degree to which we are all still holding on, unable to let go, is the degree to which we are still believing we can save ourselves? Might I also say, the degree to which our faith in God still needs to grow?

The solution then is to learn to let go of fear by giving up control to God. We must learn to depend and rely on God’s perfect love for us. When you believe that God is good—that He loves you, cares for you, and wants to help you—you will no longer fear losing out, or bad things happening to you. You will be able to stop trying to self-protect, or save yourself, and love others the way God has called you to. You will be able to give up control of your life to God, and finally let go of fear.

The solution to fear is found in the Bible in 1 John chapter 4. The solution is God’s perfect love! Verse 18 says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

God is love. Do you realize just how much God loves you? He longs to be the one you turn to for help. He longs to be the one to save you! Do you think all these precautions and measures you’re taking will be enough to keep you safe? The truth is: only Jesus has the power to save!

The Bible says that, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved,” (Acts 4:12).

So what does this mean? It means, masks are not your salvation. Avoiding people is not your salvation. A vaccine is not your salvation. Getting rid of the police is not your salvation. The president of the United States is not your salvation. Your income from your job. Your good health. Your significant other. Your charity and good works. Your makeup. Your hair. Your trendy clothes. The approval of others. The truth is, none of these things will ever be able to save you!

Only in Jesus Christ are we saved!

Honestly, I would hate for anyone to come to the end of their life having never known the one thing that could have truly saved them for eternity. If you don’t yet know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, there is reason to fear. Absolutely, there is! Without Jesus, there is no hope of heaven once you die. But I promise you, once you have put your hope and trust in Jesus Christ, and made Him Lord of your life, you will be saved for all eternity. Then, and only, will there truly be nothing left to fear—neither in this life, nor the life to come. If you have Jesus, then you have a firm foundation on which to stand. You have security. You have everything!

The bottom line is this: if what you put your faith and trust in is something that can be taken from you, you will be living in constant fear of that thing being taken away.

Ask yourself, “what is it I have been putting my faith in?” “What have I relied on other than Jesus Christ to be my salvation?”

It’s time for us to let go of living in fear, and begin living for Jesus! Change your focus from the temporary things of this world to eternity! Our purpose is not to build up securities for ourselves and our family—beyond what is simply being a good steward of the resources God has given you, I mean. God will take care of what is beyond our control. Our purpose is to love God, and love others! This is the purpose for which we have been chosen and called!

Jesus said, “Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:35).

In learning to rely on God’s perfect love, we will finally be able to give up control, and let go of anxiety and fear. It may feel a little like free-falling at first, but I assure you—once you realize that God’s perfect love has always been enough, that it will always be enough, and that His plans for you are good—fear will no longer have a hold on you!

God bless you!