‘Don’t Invite Fear In for Dinner’: Max Lucado’s 3 Secrets to Overcome Everyday Anxiety (EXCLUSIVE)
Beloved author and pastor Max Lucado shares how quiet moments with God can strengthen faith and help us face fear with courage
Key Takeaways
- Acknowledge your anxiety when it knocks, but refuse to let fear control your life.
- Intentionally creating daily quiet time gives you the strength to handle life’s chaos.
- Shifting your focus to God's greatness naturally makes your biggest problems feel smaller.
When difficult news stories greet us before our feet even hit the floor, finding peace can feel impossible. But beloved pastor and bestselling author Max Lucado believes we can learn to stand strong even when the world around us feels anything but steady.
In his new book, Unbreakable Courage: Strong Faith in an Age of Anxiety, Chaos, and Exhaustion, Lucado dives deep into the biblical story of Elijah (1 King 17-19 and 2 Kings 1-2) to offer refreshment for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the chaos of today’s headlines. Through Elijah’s story, Lucado reminds readers that courage doesn’t mean we never feel afraid — it means learning to face our fears with faith.
“Courage is is not the absence of fear as much as it is learning to face our fears with faith, because fear happens, and to a degree, fear is healthy,” Lucado tells Woman’s World.
Fear may warn us to slow down or protect ourselves, but it doesn’t have to take over our lives. Lucado says, “Fear is always going to knock at the door, so acknowledge it, but don’t invite fear in for dinner. And for heaven’s sake, don’t give fear room in your house.”
For Lucado, the answer isn’t pretending fear doesn’t exist. It’s refusing to let fear become the voice that guides us. Here, he shares his wise insights about how quiet moments can give us courage and how to let God become bigger than our problems.
Why Quiet Time With God Matters
In his new book, the story of Elijah is a thread throughout the points Lucado makes. Elijah understood what it meant to live in unsettling times. The prophet lived during a period when Israel had turned away from God, and its king and queen were leading the nation toward the worship of false gods. Yet Elijah boldly stood up for what he believed, trusting that God was still God. And while Elijah is remembered for his remarkable faith, his story also includes a season when God led him away from the noise.
After Elijah confronted King Ahab and announced that a drought was coming, God sent him into the wilderness, away from the crowds and conflict. Elijah spent an extended period in isolation. Lucado says that time helped Elijah learn to listen for God’s voice — something he believes is just as important for us today.
As Lucado explains, due to the nature of our day-to-day busy lives, we may have to intentionally create the quiet that Elijah experienced naturally.
“‘Be still and know that I am God’ is a verse that’s in the Bible for a reason because there’s something that happens when we’re still. Now, that takes a lot in our day and age. The downtime that used to exist is not there any longer. So we’ve got to create it,” Lucado says.
He encourages readers that it is still possible to experience these simple, yet powerful quiet moments with God to slow down, breathe, pray and open our hearts to Him.
“So to moms who are trying to get their bearings, to people who are at major milestones in life, maybe heading into retirement, do what Elijah did,” he advises. “Block out some time, and just be quiet. Spend a few minutes every day, just meditating, reflecting. Let yourself breathe deeply. Open the Bible. Open your heart. Tell God what’s on your heart. And I think you’ll find that those moments of isolation give you courage to face whatever is coming your way on a given day.”
Those quiet moments may not change the circumstances waiting outside the door, but they can change the way we walk into them. And sometimes, Lucado says, that little bit of stillness is exactly what gives us the “backbone” to face whatever comes next.
Let God Be Bigger Than Your Problems
When worry begins to grow, Lucado has another simple reminder: Look at God.
“If God is big, then your problems will not feel as big. But if God is small, then your problems are going to feel large,” he says.
Of course, Lucado points out, we can’t actually make God bigger. But we can remind ourselves of just how big He already is through worship, prayer and reading scripture.
“We don’t control His size. He’s already immense. But anything you can do to learn to revere His immensity will help you. Let God be big,” Lucado says.
Then, rather than allowing a frightening headline, an uncertain season or a personal struggle to fill our entire focus, Lucado encourages us to remember who is bigger still.
“But what I’ve found is that if my problems feel big, then I’ve gone too long without meditating on how great God is.”
It’s a lesson that echoes throughout Elijah’s story. Elijah wasn’t fearless because life was easy. He was courageous because he believed God was bigger than the circumstances surrounding him.
A Courageous Faith for Whatever Comes Next
Unbreakable Courage: Strong Faith in an Age of Anxiety, Chaos, and Exhaustion goes on sale August 11. After decades of helping readers navigate life’s uncertainties with biblical wisdom and hope, Lucado’s newest book feels like another invitation to take courage and have hope. Because we know who will be there when tomorrow arrives.
Elijah may have lived thousands of years ago, but his example offers a message for generations. When the world feels overwhelming, we can stand firm, grow quiet, and step bravely into whatever season comes next.
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