There have been times in my life when I dwell on personal inadequacies before daunting tasks. But I had to come to a point where my fear gave way to faith. Let me illustrate from the Bible. (Overwhelmed by fear) During Christ’s arrest, trial, and crucifixion, His disciples were overwhelmed by fear. They hid together behind locked doors and pondered what their fate might be in the days ahead. They were afraid of people around them, particularly the religious leaders. They were dealing with the perceived failure of their movement and the possible waste of the last three years. They were even afraid for their very lives! After all, if their Master had been falsely accused, tried, and executed, certainly they could be next.
(Christ’s example) Had the disciples watched Christ closely during those last days, they would have seen that He showed absolutely no fear of those who sought to take His life. In fact, He walked right up to the mob of soldiers who came to arrest Him – catching them off guard. He didn’t worry that people may have perceived Him to be a great failure. All His followers suddenly abandoned Him and fled. He had no legacy except what was in the hearts of His admirers. Still, He was undaunted. With courage, He faced death. He welcomed it, knowing that His death would not lead to His destruction, but to victory. In all that Christ did, He was fearless. I’ve heard it said that if you truly fear God, you fear nothing else. The disciples had not yet learned this truth.
Then the amazing reality of Christ’s resurrection took place. The very One who had hung dead on a cross was standing there in their midst, and the doors were still locked! In a little over a month, the disciples were transformed from the inside out. Peter and John were arrested for boldly proclaiming the resurrected Christ from the street corners. Although the very people they had been hiding from earlier commanded them to stop preaching Christ, they refused. What gave these men the boldness to preach publicly? The risen Christ. They took their eyes off of themselves and their circumstances and placed them on the risen Christ.
All the failures of the past meant nothing compared to the knowledge that Christ was alive and had a purpose for them. They had been commissioned by the living Lord. As to their fear of death, Paul unashamedly claimed, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Each of the commissioned disciples devoted his life to the cause of Christ, and most were martyred for the gospel. Fear was transformed into faith. The only reason for such boldness was the indwelling presence of Christ.
FAITH!!
As we prepare for the World Race, were all going to experience times of doubt, but what we all need to remember is that God has lead us all here. And I believe that if God leads you to it he will lead you through it.
