"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
Fear is a primal emotion. In caveman times, fear is what kept humans from being attacked by predators or kept them safe from acts of nature and the elements. It isn’t just human, either. It’s embedded in the DNA of life. Animals fear predators. Even a pet will be fearful of a loud noise or a stranger. Fear’s intention, it’s purpose, is to keep you, me, a person, even an animal, from bodily harm or even death. Fear is natural.
When I was a teenager, I had these shelves on the wall above my bed. This is where I displayed pictures of my friends and souvenirs from trips I had been on, some books, and just random teenage stuff. If I had been athletic, it's probably where I would have displayed my trophies, but I wasn't athletic, so it was mostly just other stuff. Anyway, one night I went to bed and I was in those moments between sleeping and awake when one of the brackets that was holding the shelf to the wall broke and the shelf fell off of the wall and onto my bed. Fortunately, I wasn’t hurt, unfortunately it scared the living daylights out of me. I was already in that weird half sleep/half awake consciousness and then to have this shelf full of things come crashing down on top of me. What a literal rude awakening.
But, and here’s my point, I was afraid, right. Why? Why was I afraid? Why did the falling shelf scare me so badly? It was my brain alerting me to danger. Something was wrong. Something had changed in my environment that could potentially be a threat to my health or my very life. Once I was awake and alert and understood the situation, my fear went away. I was no longer in danger.
This is fear in a practical day-to-day scenario. But we each face times in our lives when our fear isn’t as literal as something falling on top of us. Sometimes we fear change. We fear the unknown. This kind of fear triggers our limbic system to respond in much the same way as a threat to our body, like a sabretooth tiger to a caveman or a falling shelf to a teenager. Our primal chemistry doesn’t know the difference.
Now, let’s change gears here a minute. Let’s talk about good versus evil. If you believe that there is a power for good in the universe, say like Superman, then isn't it safe to say that there is a power for evil, Lex Luthor. You can choose to label them however you want; Roadrunner and Wiley-Coyote, Mario and Wario, God and Satan, but what it boils down to is this: that there are opposing forces at work that we can’t see. One for good, one for the opposite of good, be that bad or evil or what have you.
So here's where we put these two concepts together. The concept that we have fear for self-preservation and that there is a power for good and a power for evil. Doesn’t it stand to reason that a power for good, like Superman, would want you, the average citizen, to feel safe and content and free from doubt and danger. Doesn’t it also stand to reason that the power for evil, like Lex Luther, would want to impart doubt in your safety, discontent and give you a sense of impending peril?
My friends, listen to me. God, the creator of the universe does not want you to live in a constant state of peril. The Bible, the holy scripture, tells us over 300 times “do not fear” or “do not be afraid”. Both of Jesus’s parents receive visits from angels before his birth and the angel tells them to not fear. God is telling you and me, do not fear. I am with you. God is with you.
So when you’re feeling fear in uncertain times of a healthcare crisis, racial unrest, political upheaval, or environmental decay, remember that the feeling of fear doesn’t come from the God of the universe who knows you so intimately that he knows the number of hairs on your head and saves all your tears in a bottle. That fear comes from an enemy, an opponent, if you will, who wants to stunt you and stop you in your tracks.
Are you really going to let the opponent win, the bad guy? Lex Luthor? Are you going to let Lex Luthor win? Don’t let fear win.
The next time you are feeling fear, in any circumstance here’s what you can do.
First, decide if you are in peril. Fear is a genuine emotion designed for a genuine reason. Are you in danger? If so, respond to the danger. React to the fear. Scream for help, get somewhere safe, call 911. Save yourself, sister!
If you're not in danger, what’s next? Turn on the light and assess the damage. This is the hard part. This is the real work. This is where you take a stand to either clean up the of the fallen shelf, or leave it where it lays and step over the mess (I'm using a metaphor here, people).
If your fear is a big, all consuming fear, seek help. Talk to someone; a pastor, a counselor, a trusted friend. That’s doing the work. Find resources, books, websites, podcasts, YouTube videos. Find a reputable source and seek to understand your fears and find what works for you the best.
And finally, last, but not least, turn your fears over to God. Actually, say to God, "This is not for me to carry. I’m giving this fear to you." Fear of the unknown, fear of what’s next, uncertainty, doubt. Just say to God, "I have no control and you have all the control. I trust you to take this fear and carry it for me." You may have to do this over and over and over again but that’s okay because God already knows your fears. God loves you fully and completely and will take the same fear over and over and over until you feel the contentment and confidence to leave it in his hands.
My prayer for you today is that you trust the Great Counselor with your great fears. That you would walk in truth and not be a victim to the opponent’s fear tactics. That you would live fully and completely in the knowledge that you are loved by the Everlasting Father who spoke the universe into existence and breathed life into your lungs.
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