At the height of the pandemic, my father-in-law was speaking with a local Amish man. He asked if his family was fearful of getting the virus. The Amish man said to my father-in-law, “We have some fear, but we probably aren’t as fearful as others because we don’t have a TV to tell us to be.” If the past two years have taught us anything, it’s fear and worry abound. Fear, worry, and anxiety have always been something people struggle with, but we’ve had our eyes held open and forced to stare these things right in the eye for a concentrated and extended period of time. As Christians, how do we navigate this? Where do we look to comfort our souls, to get answers and gain peace? Is it sinful for us to have these feelings? Darrell Harrison and Virgil Walker have written a book addressing this topic. By compiling Scripture, thoughts from many Christians, and an element of introspection and devotion, it all culminates in Why Are You Afraid?
Darrell and Virgil state very early on their goal and hope of this book: “Our goal in this book is simply to provide some biblical precepts from God’s Word concerning sinful fear and anxiety and to encourage believers to take those principles to heart and apply them in their own lives. . . . That is our desire and prayer for this book, that God would grant us his wisdom so that we might be able to “advise” our brothers and sisters struggling with sinful fear and anxiety” (4, 5). I believe they achieved their hopes and goals in this book and led by example. They used their wisdom and the wisdom of other believers in the faith to advise and challenge the reader.
The chapter titled “Trust God” was my favorite. As someone prone to fall into sinful fear and anxiety, this chapter had great truths for me to reflect on. Not only that, it convicted and called for repentance on my part in certain areas of my life. I never felt like Darrell or Virgil came off as condescending or worded anything with a “holier than thou” tone. They have counselors’ hearts. They come alongside the reader as brothers in Christ who truly care and want to see the reader be more Christlike.
The chapter titled “The True Source of Peace” snuffs out the root problem of Christians dealing with sinful fear and anxiety. “Many professing Christians simply do not believe God’s Word is sufficient to help them in areas of their life” (57). They provide solutions from God’s Word, showing that it is sufficient. It is not the typical “Just remember these verses.” Instead they show us from the text of Scripture the root of our problem, how we got there in the first place, and how to remedy it. Darrell and Virgil are known for not mincing words. This chapter showed that and stayed true to their style of speaking in addressing difficult topics. I appreciate their style and approach to what God’s Word says and how it applies to our life.
Each of the eight chapters in the book concludes with discussion questions. They put each topic not only in our brains but also in our hearts. They do not allow this subject to be a mental ascent or head knowledge that we do not apply to ourselves. The questions are a call to action and self-reflection. They are a call to change how we think and feel about sinful fear and anxiety. This aspect is excellent for personal devotion, a small group setting, or a counseling supplement. This book can be used in many areas of Christian life.
All in all, I think this book was excellent. It is timely, something we should always be aware of and on guard against in our Christian walk. You should grab a copy for yourself, your small group, or your church library. This book is the first to be published by G3 Press and is scheduled for release on February 14, 2022. It is available for preorder at a special price. I would like to give a special thanks to Darrell Harrison, Virgil Walker, Scott Aniol, & G3 Press for the opportunity to read this book in advance and provide a review.
Order your copy of Why Are You Afraid? here.
