This summer I spent a couple of weeks poolside watching my kids try their first year of swimming lessons. Even though this was a new endeavor, I was happy to see their instruction proceeding uneventfully—until it was time to jump off the diving board.

None of my children had ever jumped into the deep end before. Though they approached it with a certain amount of trepidation, they nonetheless leapt off the board into the waiting arms of the lifeguard below.

I smiled as I saw them jump. I felt proud to see them take a risk. But they felt the opposite.

They hated it.

I could already see the anguish on their faces when they came out of the water. They had never jumped into the deep end before, so when their heads slipped under the surface and their feet found no purchase, they experienced pure terror. One of my kids cried for a full half hour after that incident!

Their fear perplexed me. Didn’t they know they were perfectly safe? Sure, they couldn’t swim well and the water was deep, but didn’t they know that the lifeguard was going to take care of them when they were scared?

I felt abashed when I realized that I am no different from my kids—and neither are you.

Even if we aren’t afraid of a diving board, when things get dangerous, we routinely forget that we have our own personal Lifeguard on duty 24/7. His name is Jesus!

There are plenty of things in life that terrify us. Every time we turn on the news or look at our phones, there’s a devastating story to trouble us. We worry about our kids, our jobs, our relationships, our waistlines, and our bank accounts. We walk around with the heavy weight of grief or guilt or illness. All of these stressors can feel like deep water, and in light of them, it’s easy to feel like we can’t keep our heads above water.

God knows this. No one knows our problems more intimately than him, and that is why he sent his Son, Jesus, to take care of us. Jesus bought us back from the clutches of sin, death, and the devil through his perfect life, brutal death on a cross, and resurrection. We stand spotless before God, and heaven is ours through faith in Jesus. A God who is that powerful is worth trusting when we are scared!

Our hope doesn’t hang on the happy hereafter of heaven though—God is here today! God promises to be with us always (Matthew 28:20) and dutifully guards our daily lives, as it says in Psalm 121: “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (verses 1-4).

Even with all these assurances from God, life will still scare us at times. Try as we might to ignore it, we are human. Paul, the writer of the book of Philippians, says that the Christian life will still involve “fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12), even when we know that we are safe forever through Jesus. So when you get scared, look at the cross. Turn to God’s Word and read comforting promises like this:

• Isaiah 43:1,2: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.”
• Philippians 4:4-7: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
• 2 Samuel 22:2,3,17,18: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior. . . . He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.”

Until we reach the glory of heaven, we will have times when we feel like a terrified kid at the end of a diving board—but God our Savior loves us and is waiting with open arms to catch us.

So don’t be afraid—your Lifeguard is on duty! Jump into the deep end and know you are safe in your Savior’s arms, no matter what comes your way.