The Tragedy of Fear

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As I thought about the message I wanted to bring to you at this end of the year, one topic kept coming to mind over and over again and it was ‘fear’. I tried to ignore it for some other topics many times until my wife and I sat down at our personal devotion table and she suggested ‘fear’ as the feature message for the year. It was a divine revelation that was confirmed right then with the two-witness process used in II Corinthians 13:1.

As I ponder this topic of fear, I am reminded of a favorite quote of Mark Twain’s: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do rather than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in the sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

One day, in the perspective of eternity, pastors, ministers, and all who’s charge it was to proclaim the gospel would weep over the fear inspired caution that resulted in missed opportunities for advancing the Kingdom of God.  We will surely be grieved by the fact that we allowed fear--False, Evidence, Appearing, Real-- to interfere with the blessings we would have received in eternal life had we just been willing to walk in faith and to follow God’s will.

Fear interferes with receiving God’s best for our lives. Abram, when he was afraid that Sara’s barrenness would not produce a son, allowed Sara to talk him into producing a son with Hagar her handmaid. This union, which God did not approve, resulted in Ishmael.

Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount said in Matthew 5:33: “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” He also said “the harvest is ripe but the laborers are few.” His famous statement to all was “Follow me.” And “I am the way, the truth and life.” (John 14:5) Why then did the Jewish leaders not accept him? After all, he gave them complete evidence that he was the long awaited Messiah of promise. Part of the reason was because he also said. “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) They were afraid that to accept him would involve a self-denial and condemnation from the Roman government that had granted them many privileges. They were not willing to pay the price for eternal life.

When the blind man of John chapter nine received his sight and his parents brought him before the Sanhedrin for interrogation the parents refused to acknowledge that Jesus was involved. They were afraid of repercussions from the Jewish leaders. Even Jesus own disciples weren’t above fear. When Jesus fulfilled his commission to give his sinless life in place of our sinful lives, his disciples scattered. Why? They were afraid for their lives.

I know many of us entering into this New Year have a sense of foreboding and anxiety because of the past and its misfortunes. In times like these, when the overall worldwide economy has suffered such great financial losses, the tendency is to draw back. Many of us have endured substantial losses, we’ve lost life’s savings in the stock market, and still others have lost their jobs.

The story of Job is often depicted as a trial by God. After all, God brought all this on Job as the saying goes. But is that the whole story? I don’t think so. If we look a little deeper, we discover another reason. Job himself hints at the answer to this trial in Job 3:25 “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.” This passage describes Job’s fear. His fear can be summed up from the events of the two previous chapters:

1. Fear of losing his possessions—he lost his possessions. (Job 1:13-17)
2. Fear of losing his children—he lost his children (Job 1:18-19)
3. Fear of losing his health—he lost his health. (Job 2:7)

Could it be that these fears were what opened the door for Satan to think that Job would denounce God if he lost all he had? Could it be that fear is also what Satan is using as a wedge between you and your Creator?

What are you afraid of today? Is your house in foreclosure? Are you afraid you can’t pay your bills because you‘ve lost your job? Are you afraid of death because you or a loved one has been diagnosed with a terminal illness? Are you under any sort of condemnation? Jesus our Savior knows all about your problems.

In Luke 12:32 Jesus said, “Fear not little flock, for this is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” My friends, Jesus came to banish fear and to usher in an everlasting life of peace and total dependence upon God, which is the Kingdom of God within you. (Luke 17:20-21) This Kingdom in the words of Paul in Romans 14:17 is described as “Peace, righteousness and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

As long as we keep our eyes on Jesus, we can rise above our surroundings and walk without stumbling over every obstacle. Don’t let the fear of a condition bring that condition upon you. When the storms of doubt or sorrow seem to break over you speak words like “I will fear no evil for thou art with me.” Psalms 23:4) “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1-2) “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” II Timothy 1:7), because we are like a magnet which draws upon us that which we think I challenge you to let go of your fear this coming year. Don’t let the enemy frighten you out of allowing God to work through you.

As Mark Twain said, “Explore, dream, and discover” that the words of Matthew 28:18 may be fulfilled through you. “All power is given unto me (Jesus) in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the world.” Don’t sit back like the rest of the world and let fear rule your life. Do as stated in words of Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

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