Over the years, like everyone else, I have faced my share of problems. Some were thrust upon me, but many (more than I really like to admit) were of my own making.
And most of my self-created dilemmas sprouted from my fears.
Fear is a flawed leader. Running away never takes us where we are trying to go.
My fears dictate my destination when these sentiments inform my choices;
“If I do abc, then xyz will happen, and I can’t live with that (or that would be just awful),”
“I don’t want people to think some negative thing,”
“I never want to be like some bad person,”
“I know I should, but it is just too hard.”
And perhaps my greatest fear . . . the fear of being wrong! Ever. About anything.
Now that’s a tricky one! Fleeing mistakes is not the same as pursuing good. They might (for a while) look similar on the surface . . . but we usually end up colliding with the very things we wanted to avoid!
I’m not going to bore you with a list of things I run from . . . that would be long. Besides, I uncover new fears all the time. It’s an ever evolving list!
Fortunately, through all the successes and failures, I have managed to gain a few insights.
Running Puts Fear in the Driver’s Seat
Running away is not an action but a re-action. The pursuer controls the evader. Decisions are not thought out and God’s voice drowned out as we dodge, avoid, and shy away from who or what we fear.
Proverbs 29: 25 “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.”
I find safety and peace in seeking God. When I “fix my eyes” on Him and make proactive decisions rather than fearful evasions, God is able to lead and the journey is joyful.
As I encounter challenges and dangers, heartaches and disappointments, I find comfort in knowing I am on His path and am undeterred. These familiar words have become an illuminating guide as I seek to follow my shepherd – not driven along by fear.
“The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:1-4
Following God is a Sure Thing
One perk about God’s plan . . . I do not require input, cooperation, or support from any other person – and I am not at the mercy of circumstance! Although I appreciate my friends and family, and advice and encouragement are great, the fact is: no-one and nothing can “ruin my life” while God is busy doing His work.
Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”
On a personal level, this concept is key and full of amazing benefits.
Proverbs 14:27 “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.”
Proverbs 19:23 “The fear of the Lord leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.”
“The fear of the Lord” and what that means is the topic of another post here.
Fear of Our Sinful World
On a more corporate level, I also think “we Christians” can become afraid of those who do not follow scriptural principles, or our view of how they should be followed.
I don’t claim to know why this happens, but it seems sometimes there is a feeling that others (whether Christian or not) living an “ungodly life” somehow undermines the validity of our own faith (when, of course, it does not).
This fear (not a good motivation) can result in efforts to create and enforce standards of living for all human-kind (not our job). These fear motivated projects are ill-conceived. They usually fail, and when they do not fail, they do much harm.
Sometimes we can spend so much time and effort fretting about what bad things others are up to that we completely forget what we are called to be and to do.
John 21: 20 – 22 (abrev) “Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. . . .When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”
Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.”
A whole bunch of really stupid, annoying, and evil people are out there doing stuff I wish they wouldn’t . . . hurting people and hurting themselves . . . but I believe I am primarily called to be (like Christ) and do (share who Christ is) – not fight against.
Proverbs 29:9 “If a wise man contends with a foolish man, whether the fool rages or laughs, there is no peace.”
Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
This is not to say that we should ignore and/or be silent in the face of offenses – but first, it needs to be our business and secondly, anything we say should be prompted by love, NOT fear.
I Thessalonians 5:13b-15 “Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.”
1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”
That’s a pretty tall order! I don’t usually want to warn, encourage, help, or be patient with disagreeable people. My first response is more like, “Life is too short to waste time with people like you.” I can find quite a bit of support for this approach too. But, that is not God’s way . . . and God’s way of love and trust conquers fear.
