Fear and Faith Cannot Coexist

It is so easy to get discouraged, isn't it? For me, it is far too easy to fear the future, to fear getting through the day, to fear an event...anything! My family is preparing for a potential move across the country, which would take us away from our extended family and close friends and put us in a completely unfamiliar place. I have allowed fear to enter my heart so many times with questions like, "How can I do it?" and, "How can we afford it?" and, "Why would we leave this place where we are so comfortable?" I try to make a little room for faith, knowing that God has a plan for me and my family and that everything will probably be fine, but my fears push it out much too quickly.

In a talk entitled "You Know Enough," Elder Neil L. Andersen said, "Fear and faith cannot coexist in our hearts at the same time."

I know what he said is true, but that doesn't make it less difficult to push out the fears and have complete faith, especially when everything looks so uncertain or unfamiliar...or scary. However, I know there have been times in my life (my mission, getting married, having kids, etc.) where there were plenty of fears that could have overcome me, but my faith was so much stronger.

Maybe I just need to do things to gain a little more faith. :)

I often think about the apostle Peter, who once walked on water because he trusted Christ so much, but then began to sink because he let fear enter his heart. What made him stop believing? What was it that caused him to doubt the Savior, who was right in front of him? Perhaps it was a lesson to him, an opportunity to reach his hand out to the Savior and cry for help to save his life, which maybe we all need at some point. But wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all have as much faith as Peter started out with?

What do you do to keep your fears out of your heart so there is room for faith?

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