| Facing Fears With Your Child by Karen Jordan |
Sometimes a child gets anxious about things that we may consider silly, and we ignore his fear or
make light of his feelings. But these times might be the perfect opportunity to help your child learn some
spiritual tactics for his battles with fear.
Tip 1: Identify with your child’s fears. Share one of your own struggles with anxiety, perhaps even how
you worry about him at times.
Tip 2: Point your child to God’s Word. Philippians 4:4-9 gives a step-by-step guide to overcome fear.
Tip 3: Pray with your child. Pray specifically for his fear as he listens. Then, encourage him to talk to
God out loud about his fears with you.
Tip 4: Encourage your child to try to think about positive things and not his fears. Explain that God’s
Word tells us to think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and
praiseworthy. Define these terms for your child, giving examples of each.
The best way to deal with fear is to honestly face it. So, continue to encourage your child to talk about
his fears, and be on guard when you notice him dealing with his fears in the future. You may need to
remind him of God’s promise to always be with him and help him when he’s afraid. And it may be helpful
to repeat this lesson until he is able to walk through the steps alone.
© 2008 by Karen Jordan. All rights reserved.
make light of his feelings. But these times might be the perfect opportunity to help your child learn some
spiritual tactics for his battles with fear.
Tip 1: Identify with your child’s fears. Share one of your own struggles with anxiety, perhaps even how
you worry about him at times.
Tip 2: Point your child to God’s Word. Philippians 4:4-9 gives a step-by-step guide to overcome fear.
- Remind him that God is always near.
- Help your child learn to give God his fears.
- Encourage him to be thankful for God’s promise to help him.
- Show him that God promises to guard his heart and mind with
- His peace when he gives Him his fears.
Tip 3: Pray with your child. Pray specifically for his fear as he listens. Then, encourage him to talk to
God out loud about his fears with you.
Tip 4: Encourage your child to try to think about positive things and not his fears. Explain that God’s
Word tells us to think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and
praiseworthy. Define these terms for your child, giving examples of each.
The best way to deal with fear is to honestly face it. So, continue to encourage your child to talk about
his fears, and be on guard when you notice him dealing with his fears in the future. You may need to
remind him of God’s promise to always be with him and help him when he’s afraid. And it may be helpful
to repeat this lesson until he is able to walk through the steps alone.
© 2008 by Karen Jordan. All rights reserved.
Karen Jordan resides in Arkansas with her husband, Dan. They have two married children
and six grandchildren. In addition to writing, she teaches writing at the University of
Arkansas at Little Rock. You can contact her at kj@karenjordan.net or visit
www.karenjordan.net.
and six grandchildren. In addition to writing, she teaches writing at the University of
Arkansas at Little Rock. You can contact her at kj@karenjordan.net or visit
www.karenjordan.net.
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