Afraid of Fear?

Fear is a funny thing, fear will paralyze us forcing us into a corner of life causing us to do nothing. Fear will cause us to defend ourselves resulting in damage to anyone who gets too close to us. Fear has pressed people into greatness and overwhelmed people resulting in cowardice. I was recently asked how I see fear. All I know is how it affects me personally. I have been the coward and the hero in the face of fear. The end result of how we react to fear is what matters, because when face to face with fear it always feels the same. When fear  presents itself a choice is always demanded of us. Because left unresolved it can and will consume the heart.

The statement “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” brings up one aspect of fear. One of respect and the acknowledgement of honor and authority. So the word fear needs some definition as we discuss what is good and bad about it. To fear jumping off a cliff with the understanding of cause and effect gives me a healthy fear of making a jump with no parachute. Fear of the Lord with the understanding that being frightened as an emotion of a loving God who wants a relationship with me is not a good fear. Respect and adoration for the same loving God, that he is able to judge sin according to right and wrong by his very nature of righteousness is a healthy understanding of this aspect of fear. Along with the understanding that provision has been made for us through the blood of his son for that same sinful nature if we accept it.

Jesus continually told people “do not fear” there is a reason for the reassurance for us not to be afraid, and for him to say these words of comfort to us. Fear is very real, just because we don’t want to experience it doesn’t make it go away. Faith does chase away fear but that doesn’t make it any less real. We live in a world where the need to fight back fear can be a daily routine. Fear takes on many different faces. To say fear doesn’t exist is like saying we don’t sin. Romans 5:12 tells me I haven’t received the spirit of bondage that will take me back into fear again. The Psalms also tell me God knows I am made of dust, he understands my weaknesses. I am concerned with statements of absolutes when they come to emotions. Statements like Christians don’t fear because it is the opposite of faith, or fear shouldn’t allowed, or fear is the lack of faith. True as these may be, the blunt edge of miss placement of scripture doesn't give the understanding that fear remains real and is something that needs to be walked through into that aspect of trust that takes us beyond that fear. Our emotions are a great part of who we are. Run those absolute statements about fear down to someone who was just told they have cancer or to the 62 year old man who has been told he and his family have to leave their home they have been in for 20 years of their 30 year loan; or the single mother that she is fired from her job and unemployment is in double digits. No we shouldn’t be lead by our emotions but as much as we don’t want to be affected by the emotions of fear or anger or sometimes love, we are affected by them at great depth. As a Christian man I think the question is not what I think about fear but more how do I deal with fear. Fear along with other struggles in this life are being put under the control of God as we learn that we can trust him. Trust only comes through relationship with him. Relationship only comes through spending time with someone daily not only in the middle desperation of life's struggle. It is through relationship with him that we begin to realize perfect love casts out all fear. That isn’t to say we never experience fear or it doesn’t exist, it does nurture the relational aspect and value of trust that causes us to run to him in times of fear and not be paralyzed by it. We are told through the words of God that through scripture we gain hope. The Apostle Peter said to Jesus "where else will we go? You hold the words to eternal life."

I am glad my Heavenly Father allows me to grow into a relationship of trust with him and that he tells me “Fear not I am with you, even to the end of the this age.”