If you're a believer walking through cancer and you still feel afraid, let me say something it took me too long to learn: that fear does not mean your faith is failing. Faith and fear during cancer can live in the same heart at the same time — and God is not disappointed in you for it.

THE FUD THAT CREEPS IN

There's an acronym I keep coming back to: FUD — Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. And that mix of faith and fear during cancer is far more common than we admit. I watched it hit my own family. During my surgery — which ran far longer than planned — my wife and daughter sat in the waiting room and heard a "code blue" called over the loudspeaker. Their minds went straight to the worst. And these are strong, faithful people. Even knowing that "if God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31), the fear still came. That's not weak faith. That's being human.

FAITH AND FEAR ARE NOT OPPOSITES

We tell ourselves things like, "I shouldn't be doubting — I know God is with me." But I don't believe having fearful or worried thoughts makes you any less of a believer. It's completely human, and God knows we'll have those thoughts. The growth isn't in never feeling fear — it's in recognizing it and handing it to Him. That's when He does His best work: comforting us and giving us peace. In fact, I'm convinced we couldn't fully understand His peace if we never felt its opposite. Just as you can't know healing without ever knowing pain, you can't grasp the depth of God's peace without walking through the fear.

WHAT TO DO WITH THE FEAR

So when the fear comes — and on a cancer journey, it will — don't beat yourself up, and don't try to bury it. Bring it to God. Pray, and pray hard. As Jesus promised in John 16:33:

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

He never promised the road would be smooth — He promised to walk it with you. Prayer, in my experience, is the real "FUD killer." It doesn't erase the trouble; it puts the One who overcame it right beside you in it.

ONE DAY AT A TIME

And when the whole road feels too long and overwhelming — when you start doing the math on how many hills are still ahead — come back to this: you only have to walk today. "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:34). Jesus is with you every step, every hour, every day. He never leaves your side.

YOU ARE NEVER ALONE

You Are Never Alone

So if you're a believer who's scared right now, please hear me: you're not failing. You're human, and you're growing. Bring the fear to God, one day at a time, and let Him lead you toward peace — because no matter where you are, even in the pit, He has you.

No matter what you're facing today, remember: you are never alone. Jesus is with you through all of it — not some of it, all of it.

 Listen to the Podcast - My Story, Part Three: Surgery, Prayer, and Peace