Fear is something that we are all familiar with. Fear of the unknown, fear of crowds and that fear that grips you when someone sneaks up on you and shouts…BOO! Fear is defined as “an emotional response to a threat”. The response might be to run or stay and defend yourself from the threat.
The fear of the H1N1 (swine flu) virus drives people to get vaccinated. The one thing that I learned about fear, as it relates to the church is that you can not preach it away; too often church members are made to feel inferior, embarrassed, or ashamed because they have become crippled by fear.
If its one thing about the people of God is, they know the voice of the Lord and if we just instruct (teach) the people of God about what the word has to say about fear, they will realize that in every case recorded in scripture that mentions fear, God most always states, what He will do, how He will bring you out and most important, “fear not”. You will find “Fear Not” throughout scripture and when you spend sometime with “fear not” in the Word of God, you will be more confident and sure that God is able to exactly what He says.
Believers seem to be all to familiar with, gripped by and controller by fear. Let me explain, some of us came to Christ because the preacher preached a fire and brimstone message and the listeners became afraid of going to hell, so they stood in the salvation line and received Christ. When the fear wore off and they were no longer afraid, they slipped away and back into life before Christ. Those that were scared into salvation (new converts) are in the weeks to come are taught they were robbing God by not tithing and the preacher would say “you wouldn’t want to be seen by God as a thief and a robber would you?”. Isn’t it strange that we go from being sinner to saint and then robber of God in less time that it takes to backslide. Words that instill and breed fear, doubt and often confusion are so frequently used in worship services. We hear about how much God loves us, but the message is often one of a God that is angry and standing by to ready to inflict punishment on you at the moment you transgress.
Sunday morning prayer lines are filled with saints, so much that the sinner can not get through, something is wrong. Fear causes the people of God to run from a forgiving God. I am in no way advocating “go ahead and sin because God will forgive”. Paul speaks against this so eloquently “Shall we continue in sin that the grace of God may abound?” The answer is a resounding NO! When you sin, when you loose your temper, when you slip up, Good! This shows you what you need to pray about and where in your life you need to allow God to work! Don’t flatter yourself and fool yourself into a pity party and don’t listen to the people that are so quick to condemn you to hell and isolation. God already knew about the day you would fall, He knew about the day you your fall short.
Jesus Christ died for the sin of man kind once, just get up and walk right! You want scripture? Start reading about Paul’s account with the Corinthian Church! Although Paul preached to them, Paul had to remind the Corinthians of who they are and their current behavior is who and what they use to be. Paul did not use fear and intimidation to lead them or cause them to obey, he simple taught them what the word of God said.
So, when you spend sometime in scripture and you see what the scripture has to say about fear, you will learn much more about this God you serve and you will lean to rely more on His word than the words of those seeking to lead using words filled with fear.
Luke 12:7 “But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”
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