The Temptations of FEAR...

The word fear is not a “feel-good” word in itself, is it? This morning, I started thinking about some things that I am afraid of. Besides a healthy fear of snakes, and I have strong Biblical evidence they can’t be trusted and should be feared, I think I am really afraid of things happening that are out of my control. Like cars breaking down, getting into an accident, or sickness; stuff like that. I guess it’s really the fear of the unknown. Fear is not bad in itself; I guess fear is bad only in how we respond to it. Think about it – fear is real, and it demands a real response, but the fear does not control our response, we do.

We can use our fears and respond to make safe decisions, or let our fears keep us from experiencing some great things. We all have fears. Some are bigger than others. Some fears can be healthy, and some fears are not. Fearing a ticket, is good reason to slow down while driving, but being so afraid of getting a ticket one refuses to drive, can be a problem.

So, our fears are not the problem, our response is, and where we put our fears controls our response. If we put them in front of us, and give them priority, they can and will, be all we see, and they will control our response, tempting us to react to them, instead of acting on them. And as a point of clarification, “freezing” is a reaction – refusing to act is an act, refusing to choose is a choice, just so we are clear.

But what if, instead of letting fear tempt us to react in a bad or unhealthy way, we could let fear move us to positive action, using the fear for our good? Instead of weighing us down, we could use it as something to help us up? What if?

Psalm 55:22 (NKJV)
“Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”

Our response to fear is either based on our feelings about the fear, or our trust in God. Give our fears to God? Absolutely, because they weigh us down, and I am certain He can carry much more than any of us ever could.

I am not saying not to be afraid anymore, just to have respect for your fears, and know what you want to do with them. That way, when fear presents itself, we need to, (not just should), turn to God. God is aware of everything; nothing has escaped His notice, right? If this is true, then we can trust Him wherever we are, and with however much fear we have, and continue to move forward. Trusting God doesn’t mean we have no more fears moving forward, but that we can move forward in spite of our fears.

After all, nothing healthy simply stands still.

…just prayin’

In His Grip,

Pastor Pat