“Dude, I love your No Fear shirt!”
As a kid, one of the coolest brands was “No Fear.” My friends who rode BMX and motocross wore No Fear racing gear, and several friends known for being risk-takers often wore their t-shirts.
The idea of “No Fear” meant that you weren’t backing down from a challenge nor letting a few rules get in the way of a good time. Despite my youthful admiration of these people, I learned that their “No Fear” attitude wasn’t the path of wisdom. They got in accidents, injured their body, and lost future opportunities because a “No Fear” approach often led to “Many consequences” experiences.
I thought of those shirts and my teenage lessons when I recently heard Jon Reddick’s new song “No Fear.” Though the title and the 90s brand share the same two words, they carve out very different paths. While the brand rejected laziness, conformity, and authority, Reddick’s songs aren’t about rebellion but a relationship with God. “No Fear” is a song about freedom from fear. As the chorus declares, “The mighty power of Jesus is fighting for me here.”
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The song opens with Reddick sharing his response to overwhelming circumstances.
“You might think that I'd be afraid
Runnin' scared with a shaken faith
But the God I know says it ain't over
The God I know is gonna make a way.”
When Reddick recently shared the song on his Facebook page, his caption read, “My hope is this song reminds you that we have not been given a spirit of fear! God is over your LIFE!”
The lyrics of “No Fear” and the caption Reddick wrote echo the words of Scripture. 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us that a spirit of fear is not the product of God’s work in our lives. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” Zephaniah 3:17 describes how God speaks and acts over our lives. “For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”
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Reddick is urgent about the message behind “No Fear.” In an interview with K-LOVE, he shared, “I believe fear has been holding us down for a long time — many of us, for most of our lives…I believe it’s at the crux of the brokenness of our world, but I also believe that our hope is in Jesus. He helps us not to escape and go around this actual thing called fear; He helps us to move through it. So, my prayer is that fear is not over your family; it’s not over your future; it’s not over your life.“
While many of us would love a detour around fear, Reddick reminds us that we can move toward and through fear because of God’s power and presence. This attitude reflects the famous words David wrote in Psalm 23. “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.” When Reddick sings, “The light of the world makes the darkness disappear,” he’s repeating the truth of John 1:5. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”
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There is a power to the catchy, repeated chorus of “No Fear” echoed by the choir that joins Jon Reddick. However, the more profound power of this song is in the truth of Scripture, which has been translated into song. Just as the Word of God spoke creation into existence, God’s Word can defeat every enemy in our lives and empower us with courage in the face of fear.
So, if you’re facing enemies with arrows flying and sensing that things aren’t looking good, then “No Fear” is your anthem for this season. Keep this song on repeat and meditate on the Scripture passages that inspired Jon Reddick’s new release. God is over your life, and you can trust Him!
Scott Savage is a pastor, author, and speaker with the best last name in the world. Scott’s writing helps people transform difficult circumstances into places where they can thrive. He leads Cornerstone Church in Prescott, Arizona, and loves watching movies with his wife and three kids. You can begin Scott’s life-changing project, The 21 Day Gratitude Challenge, today.
