Fear and Faith

This week, I've decided that I really want to study faith. I was reading all the scriptures that had anything to do with faith, and I read the story of the apostles at sea with Christ (Mark 4 :36-41..... http://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/mark/4?lang=eng)  Think about what it must have been like being in a boat with everything going crazy & flooding. It would have been scary, right? Well, the apostles thought the same thing! I can imagine them just being frightened out of their minds! One of them even asks the napping Christ if he cares that they are going to drown.

I love what Jesus does next. He commands the winds and the waves to be still, and then turns to his apostles and asks where their faith is. In a way, he is also commanding them to be still. From his two simple questions, we learn that fear and faith cannot coexist. They are total opposites, and you can't have both at the same time. It is like having a candle in a dark room. The light from the candle will always prevail over the blackness surrounding it. Faith is and always will be stronger than fear.

As a missionary, I have a lot of things I can be afraid of. At the beginning of my mission, I was super worried about what to say to people when they opened their doors. I thought about the rejection and scorn that might come from talking to random people. At one point, I just had to be still just like those waves and remember that God is in control.  As I have learned to trust my Heavenly Father and really rely on my Savior, my faith has increased. I don't fear what might happen, but look forward to what will happen if I continue to depend on Jesus Christ for strength. I know that the Lord loves me, and there are so many blessings in store for us as we show our dedication to him. Increase your own faith by praying often and asking Heavenly Father for help. He wants to help us trust him, and sometimes he is just waiting for us to ask. As you apply the principle of prayer for faith into your life, you will see a change. You will learn to trust God, and you will have the blessing of strong and sure faith in the Savior!