I sat on a barstool only a few feet away from the rest of the team. I’m facing the open cut out window looking into a trendy, touristy pizza restaurant that is way out of our World Race budget. Even though I’d just spent an embarrassing amount on one scoop of gelato from the bar of flavors sitting to my right.
I was talking on the phone with a few people. We were discussing details and thinking through potential pit falls and cautions we’d need to take based on a decision we had to make. It felt like there was so much red tape and danger signs being staked in the ground as we thought through options.
In this case, we had reason to have cautions and think through these pit falls. It was valid, because we are responsible for other people and we have to think through all the things.
Regardless, the conversation sparked a question in me. A question that I want to ask you.
Do you live your life in fear? In constant caution? In worry?
I’ve had my moments.
The moment I hear a subtle noise outside the bedroom door that turns into an irrational idea that someone is in the house. The moment I haven’t heard from a family member after I’ve tried calling them a few times. The moment I focus on the idea that a shark could be right by me in the ocean.
What’s interesting about those moments, though, is that they were all induced by something or someone else.
A scary movie where they girl is home alone, hearing creaks and footsteps in the dark. A family member who responds in fear when someone doesn’t answer their phone immediately. A mom who is deathly afraid that I’m going to get a shark bite before my month in Costa Rica comes to an end.
All planted in my brain by external things. Things that the enemy uses to take our gaze off of the Lord.
If we believe in Jesus and have actually repented and surrendered our life to Him, why do we live in fear?
Now, it’s one thing to have moments of fear. It happens, alright? I’m not saying we’re perfect, here.
I’m talking about living in fear. Living in a way that cripples us in the decisions we make and the life we are called to live in Christ.
There is so much scripture that tells us not to fear. I could give you a laundry list of verses, but I’ll instead give you one that stood out to me.
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” – 2 Timothy 1:6-7 ESV
I’ve been reading in Acts recently, and the lifestyle that the apostles lived is incredible to me. Seriously, go read it.
In chapter 5, the apostles were arrested because they were preaching, healing, and performing miracles in the name of Jesus. In the middle of the night, an angel opens the prison gates and tells them to go preach in the temple. So, they obeyed.
As they were preaching, they were taken again before the council and told to stop teaching in Jesus’ name. Their response?
“But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.” – Acts 5:29 ESV
The council was enraged and wanted to kill them, but instead beat them.
“and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.” – Acts 5:40 ESV
The next couple verses are the real kicker.
“Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.” – Acts 5:41-42 ESV
Not only did they continue preaching after they were beaten for that exact reason, but they rejoiced.
Rejoiced because they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. Wow.
Yet I choose fear when I hear a weird noise. When I don’t hear from someone within a half hour. When I’m attempting to surf out in the ocean
I’ve always said this and I’ll say it here. If we have surrendered our lives to Christ and live in obedience, then we have eternity with the Father.
So why would I live in fear, then? If something crazy happens to me and I were to die today, I’d be spending eternity in Heaven.
Does that sound like something to be fearful of? Not at all.
Fear, in my mind, is a lack of trust in God. So let’s trust Him instead.
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