Where Is God When I'm S-Scared?

The new year has a way of revealing different things in each of us. 

For me, a new year usually comes with excitement. I like fresh starts. I like resetting rhythms and looking ahead at what might be possible. There’s something energizing about turning the page. 

But I also know that’s not everyone’s experience. 

For a lot of people, the new year doesn’t feel exciting at all. It feels uncertain. It brings questions you don’t have answers for and responsibilities that feel heavier than they did a year ago. And even when there is some excitement, fear usually isn’t far behind. 

The Christian children’s show VeggieTales was a big part of my life and who I am today. I still listen to Phil Vischer’s podcast every week, and I was ecstatic when he joined us at Bridgeway for our Guest Speaker Series a few years back.  

There’s one song from VeggieTales that I still find myself humming as an adult. It comes from the episode “Where’s God When I’m S-Scared?” 

The very first episode of the series opened by acknowledging something universal: kids get scared. 

Fear of the dark.
Fear of being alone.
Fear of what might be hiding just out of sight. 

In that episode, Junior Asparagus is scared of the dark in his bedroom. And when the fear creeps in, he sings the song “God is bigger than the boogie man.”  

But it’s not just kids, is it? No matter how old we get, fear doesn’t really go away - it just changes shape. We’re no longer worried about monsters in the closet or under the bed. Instead, we watch for the next round of layoffs at work, the next relationship that might fall apart, or the next situation where we could get hurt. 

I didn’t believe in boogie men as a kid, but I always knew the message of that song was true: God is bigger than whatever scares me, and He’s watching out for you and me. 

That’s part of why this year feels a little different for me. 

In April, I’ll become a first-time dad. 

There’s a lot of joy in that. And there’s also a lot I don’t know yet - a lot that feels intimidating. 

I don’t have a clear picture of what it looks like to be a good father. I don’t know how I’ll handle every situation. I’m sure I’ll get things wrong before I get them right. That reality brings some anxiety with it, even as I’m genuinely excited about what’s ahead. 

When fear shows up for me, the question usually isn’t, “Is God real?”; it’s, “Is God with me in this new situation? Is God going to be with me when I step into fatherhood?” 

When Joshua steps into leadership after Moses, God doesn’t hand him a detailed plan. He tells him, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) 

I don’t think Joshua expected this to mean doing laps around the walls of Jericho (another great Veggietales episode), but he trusted God and went anyway. 

David says something similar when he writes, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” (Psalm 23:4) 

God doesn’t remove the unknown. He steps into it with us. 

Like the men in these scriptures, the fear I feel doesn’t come from loss or danger, but from the unknown that comes with a new and beautiful calling. Whether our fear rises from hardship or blessing, what matters most is not its source, but that we bring these worries and anxieties to Him. 

Scripture makes it clear that God’s people are rarely fearless; the ones we remember are those who trust Him enough to move forward anyway. Courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s obedience in the midst of our fear. 

So if you’re stepping into this year with uncertainty - whether that’s a new season, a big decision, or something that feels heavier than expected - it may be that you’re being invited to trust God in a new way. 

Ask yourself now, “What is God inviting me to trust Him with this year? What do I need to give to Him?” 

So… where is God when you’re scared? 

He’s closer than you think. Scripture tells us plainly - He is with us. 

And that’s probably why that VeggieTales song still sticks with me all these years later. The message hasn’t changed in 30 years. 

God is still bigger than your boogie man. 

He’s bigger than your finances.
Bigger than your career questions.
Bigger than the insecurities you carry into this year.
And yes, bigger than Godzilla or the monsters on TV. 

Whatever shape your fear takes right now, you don’t have to carry it alone. You have someone by your side who can handle more than you ever could. 

So as this new year unfolds, my invitation isn’t to get rid of your fear, but to place it in bigger hands. 

Give this year to Him and be amazed by what He does with it.  

Starting on February 3rd at the Columbia Campus and online, we are kicking off a new semester of Care and Support Groups. Start your year off right and get connected via the links below.