Has fear ever crippled you? Has it made you lame? Has it fueled you—moved you to push harder, reach further, soar higher? Does it terrify you? Does it invigorate you? Does it cause you to doubt? Does it cause you to feel shame?
Fear can be an impressive thing. It can stir one to rise above the obstacles, conquering what seems to be the impossible; or it can expose the frailty of the human spirit, reducing even the most fiercest of foes to a pitiful victim. Fear can create heroes, and on the other hand it can produce tragic characters.
Whatever the circumstances, chances are that we've encountered fear. And unfortunately, it seems that our capacity to fear is boundless. As we become more aware of possible dangers (whether through acquired knowledge or personal experience), we seem more inclined to perceive threats.
And that's exactly what fear is—a response to a perceived threat. Fear is not an absolute law, but something that seems to transcend mere emotion in that it is fabricated out of our own personal biological processes. Fear seems only possible in the presence of circumstantial understanding (or lack thereof). It is a survival mechanism designed to stir a response in us that will ultimately and hopefully protect us from the danger.
But unfortunately many of us fail to see the benefit of such experiences. Sometimes we dismiss the validity of fear as sometimes it is completely irrational and at times can seem almost impossible to overcome. And so, similarly to how we at times deal with pain, many of us spend our energy attempting to eliminate the unwanted response instead of learning how to embrace it. We use very sort of defense mechanism to deny, ignore, diminish and/or masquerade it. We try to kill it—or the root—instead of learning how to harness the intense reaction it creates in order to wield an even more powerful response.
What do I mean? Well the fact is that fear motivates us. Period. Whether for better or for worse, fear has a direct and often considerable effect on us. To the average person, deep-rooted fear is not pleasant. It's not desirable, but it's reality, and there is a purpose to this unpleasant sensation. It is not the experience itself that defines us but it is how we respond, and what we respond to that will change the course of our life. In effect, do we find ourselves caving into the fear, or do we rise to overcome it?
I myself deal with that very same challenge and some days I feel as if I'm plagued with an abnormal capacity for anxiety. It's for that very reason that I sometimes feel unfit to label myself a follower of Christ since the fundamental reality of God's indwelling is that I also receive the gift of His peace. So if His peace transcends all understanding (accurate or not), why do I find myself tempted to fear and worry about the very things God has promised to take care of?
Experiencing fear over bungee jumping and sky diving is a very understandable anxiety—and I think most would agree with the concept (it goes against every human instinct)—but it's all together a completely different matter when we fear for our provision or our salvation. It's not that these fears aren't normal or human, but it's that the Word of God provides little justification for such fears! He has taken care of it all, and our fear has no impact on the finality of His words and His actions.
And it is so easy to condemn ourselves when we feel overly anxious or fearful. But as I've pondered on the many Biblical characters that span many ages and circumstances, I've started to realize that each one had some kind of encounter with fear (and often many!). When Joshua was taking leadership over the grumbling Israelites, God encouraged him to "Be strong and courageous; do not be discouraged; for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9). God doesn't not expect us to be void of fear, but calls us to refuse to let it dismay us, and move and fight in spite of it.
It's when we are governed by fear that God gets jealous. For when we submit ourselves to its dictatorship, we are in effect placing it as an idol before God. And to our detriment! For fear is not a merciful or just god. It will bind you in chains, and cause you to lose out on the best, and fabricate the worst. Even if you use it to fuel you on, it can also blind you and cause you to make rash, unwise decisions.
Regardless, fear should not be a common theme of our life. Paul tells us that God did not give us a spirit of timidity but one of power, love and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7-8). So if we tap into the power of God, we receive the strength we need to overcome our own weaknesses to become bold witnesses of God's kingdom.
Easier said than done, though. I know this is one reality will take my entire life on earth to perfect, and it is a process for each and everyone of us. But we cannot deny that this peace is available to every follower of Christ. Jesus made this very clear when He said: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."(John 14:27).
Jesus spoke these personal words to His disciples — His closest of companions while He walked the earth. At a time when things were changing in the ministry of Jesus, and His death was imminent, Jesus reassured his friends with this encouragement. Jesus did not promise a peace void of sorrow, pain, and fear — all of which I'm sure the disciples felt when experiencing the tragic death of Christ — but His peace that would get through them the day, and through the trials. A peace that would lead them on victorious and triumphant.
It is a peace that will not necessarily eradticate our fears, but a peace that transcends all understanding to assuage our fears. His is a peace that will birth a hero and conqueror in Christ in spite of the circumstances raging against us. A peace we cannot find anywhere else but in Him who loves us most.
