Overcoming Fear and Anxiety Through Faith and Positive Thinking

Many people often use the phrase “atonement for sins,” as if life’s difficulties are simply punishments from above. Occasionally, it can seem as though God spends His time looking for ways to punish people for their mistakes, rather than desiring good for His creations.

In my view, it’s better to replace this outlook with the mindset of “everything is for the best.” Often, what initially appears to be a punishment, later reveals itself as a hidden kindness and a blessing in disguise.

The Power of Thought

The Talmud teaches that a person who constantly judges others harshly experiences a harsh response in return. Iyov (Job) himself said (Iyov 3:25), “That which I feared has come upon me.” If someone lives with the mindset that God is angry with them, and they also tend to be overly critical of others, their fears will eventually materialize.

On the other hand, someone who chooses positive thinking, optimism, and generosity of spirit toward others naturally develops a positive outlook on life and on God as well. In response, God fulfills their optimistic thoughts and showers them with goodness.

The antidote to fear is remembering that God loves us infinitely and wants the best for us, even more than we want it for ourselves. Imagine waking up tomorrow to smiles from everyone, a sudden healing of your back pain, or even a surprise message that your salary has doubled. It may sound far-fetched, but try thinking this way and you’ll start to see wonders.

Fear of People

Another common fear is fear of other people. Sadly, in our world there are those who use threats and intimidation to get what they want. Some people live in constant worry that others will harm them, whether physically, financially, or emotionally.

Sometimes this fear is based on nothing more than imagination. If someone merely scowls at them, they immediately assume, “Maybe they’re plotting against me? Maybe they’ll complain about me to my boss?” Similarly, some live with constant anxiety about being fired from their jobs and losing their livelihood.

Even hearing others speak negatively about them can spark panic: “What if this ruins my reputation? What if people believe it? What if they start to hate me?” When people live this way, they end up doing everything to please others, even at the cost of betraying their own values, or ignoring what they know to be right.

Fear of Enemies

In our time, there is the fear of terror. Many live with deep anxiety over attacks, sometimes afraid even to leave their homes. Even those who do go out are often filled with dread: “What if I’m the one they target?”

“There Is Nothing but God”

David Hamelech (King David) said in Tehillim (56:12), “In God I have trusted; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

All fear ultimately comes from the mistaken belief that other people have power over us. In reality, no one can harm or even speak against us unless God allows it. Even if the whole world, armed with every weapon, tried to hurt a single person, they would be powerless unless it was decreed by God.

David understood this well, which is why he declared his trust in the true Master of the world. Despite being pursued all his life by enemies, he did not live in fear.

Rabbi Yitzchok Zev Soloveitchik (Brisker Rav) once explained how he survived the Holocaust: “Through the teaching of Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin, who promised that if a person fills his heart with the thought ‘There is nothing but God’ — no enemies, no police, no diseases, no Nazis, nothing but the Divine Presence filling the world, then nothing can harm him. When I saw Nazis approaching, I would remind myself: ‘There are no Nazis — only God!’ and I imagined God’s name surrounding me. Suddenly, they couldn’t see me, and I managed to escape.”

The Rambam (Maimonides) wrote in The Guide for the Perplexed that if a righteous person suffers harm, it is only because they lost their awareness of God for a moment. If they had remained fully focused on Him, nothing could have touched them.

The Root of Anxiety

Some people struggle with lifelong anxiety because, as children, they never felt truly protected. If a child is bullied and their parent responds by scolding them instead of standing up for them, the child grows up feeling unprotected. That deep insecurity often turns into chronic fear in adulthood.

As I once told a man who suffered this way: “I cannot take you back to your childhood and defend you, but I can introduce you to a protector far greater than any parent: God Himself. Learn the teachings of trust in Him, and you’ll discover that the Creator is your shield.”

God Is With You Always

David Hamelech reminds us in Tehillim (23:4), “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.” And again (91:11), “For He will command His angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.”

When we truly internalize the thought that God is our ultimate protector, fear loses its grip. Even if a decree of harm had been written, deep faith and trust have the power to overturn it. That is why David declared, “In God I trusted, I shall not fear. What can man do to me?"