What Do You Do When Fear Gets Loud?

“On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul.”               - Psalm 138:3 (NASB)

My son had been practicing for weeks. His teacher had assigned each student a poem to memorize and present at the upcoming Speech Meet, and he had taken the challenge seriously. Day after day he stood in our living room reciting his lines. His voice was confident. His gestures were dramatic. Sometimes he even added a little flair that made his younger brother laugh.

He knew the poem inside and out, but the night before the Speech Meet, everything changed.

The confidence he once carried so easily suddenly vanished. Instead of a boy confidently performing his poem, I found a child curled up in bed, tears streaming down his cheeks. Fear had crept in and taken over.

While tucking him in that night, he looked up at me with wide eyes and said something I’ll never forget: “Mommy, my feelings are telling me to run away.” I paused for a moment because, honestly, that was a pretty insightful observation for a child.

After praying together that God would fill him with peace and boldness, we talked about something our family often calls “courage muscles.” Just like physical muscles grow stronger when we use them, courage grows when we face hard things instead of running from them.

Courage isn’t built in comfort. It’s built in moments exactly like this one. And sometimes the greatest courage is simply choosing to do the right thing even when our feelings are screaming otherwise.

If we’re honest, my son’s words aren’t just something children experience. Adults feel it too. Have you ever faced a situation where your feelings told you to run?

Maybe it was:

• A difficult conversation you knew you needed to have

• A step of obedience God was asking you to take

• A responsibility that felt overwhelming

• A relationship that required grace when you wanted distance

• A calling that felt bigger than your confidence

  
  

And suddenly your feelings began shouting: This is too hard. You can’t do this. You should quit.Just walk away.

Feelings can be incredibly persuasive. They don’t whisper; they roar. They can convince us that fear is wisdom, avoidance is safety, and retreat is the only reasonable option. But here’s the truth we must remember: Feelings have opinions, but they are not always trustworthy guides.

The Problem with Following Feelings

Feelings are a natural and beautiful part of being human. God created us to feel deeply—joy, sorrow, excitement, compassion, and even fear. But feelings were never meant to lead our lives. They were meant to inform them.

When feelings become our decision-makers, they often lead us away from growth, obedience, and courage. Feelings don’t consider long-term consequences. They focus only on immediate comfort.

Feelings say:

• Run when things feel scary.

• Quit when things feel difficult.

• Avoid when things feel uncomfortable.

  
  

But God often uses those very moments to grow something deeper within us.

How God Strengthens Our Courage

Psalm 138:3 offers a powerful reminder: “On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul.” Notice something important about this verse. David doesn’t say he suddenly felt fearless. He says God strengthened his soul.

God doesn’t always remove the hard situation. Sometimes, He strengthens us inside it. He gives us courage not by eliminating fear, but by equipping us to move forward despite it. And every time we choose truth over feelings, obedience over comfort, and courage over retreat, something remarkable happens. Our courage muscles grow stronger. What once felt impossible becomes manageable. What once felt terrifying becomes a testimony.

Training Your Courage Muscles

Think about the areas of your life where God might be inviting you to grow.

Maybe He is asking you to:

• Step into a new ministry opportunity

• Extend forgiveness where wounds still linger

• Speak truth with kindness in a difficult relationship

• Trust Him in a season of uncertainty

• Persevere when the path feels exhausting

  
  

Your feelings might be shouting, Run. But God may be whispering, Trust Me. And when we choose to listen to His voice over the noise of our emotions, we discover something beautiful: God meets us in the middle of our courage. He strengthens our souls. He steadies our steps. And He reminds us that we are never facing hard things alone.

Pause to Ponder

How might God be using a challenging circumstance or relationship in your life to grow your “courage muscles”? Today, whose voice will you choose to listen to—your feelings or God's truth? Because sometimes the most courageous step of faith is simply refusing to run when your feelings tell you to.