Fear is a universal subject that virtually everyone deals with. It comes in every way imaginable. Many of us dread the thought of facing the world the moment we roll out of bed in the morning. Why do we have fear? Many of us have experienced some kind of hurt at some point in our lives and we tend to avoid things that may potentially hurt us again. Definition number one of Webster’s Universal Unabridged Dictionary (1996 edition) defines fear as – “a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined.” According to Webster’s definition, you would have to wonder why some people actually attend their churches, since there are many pastors who spend a lot of time preparing messages just to stir up the consciences of their members…which listening to some of these messages could technically qualify as exposure to fear.
What kind of fears do we potentially face as individuals? Our youth have pressures coming from all directions, be it their parents, teachers and peers. How do they respond to situations where people may try to pressure them into compromising their morals and/or individuality...just to feel accepted? As for unmarried adults, many of these people may face the fear of possibly being stigmatized or being treated differently – just for being single. How do these individuals open their hearts and share their feelings with new people or strangers, knowing that someone may try to take advantage of them by playing with their emotions? Of course marriage does not necessarily eliminate the problems of fear for people. Rather, it can complicate the matters even worse by bringing in new fears, such as infidelity, the inability to support your family (i.e., job loss) or the loss of a loved one. As for senior citizens, they have the fear of worrying about their retirements as well as wondering how the future state of the country may impact their children and grandchildren, due to the actions of Generation X, Y or Z.
What kind of fears may impact the local church? Poor spiritual leadership may cause many churches to close their doors indefinitely. Hypothetically, most churches want to stand up for the Great Commission of Jesus Christ by trying to embrace everybody in their surrounding communities. Realistically, however, many people within local churches may prefer to have people walking through their doors who look and act like themselves. Ask yourself, how many couples would feel comfortable having a person with a drug problem sitting next to them or one of their loved ones in church? How many senior citizens would tolerate a Generation X, Y or Z person sitting next to them in church? Would single people like to have their single groups used as prospective “watering holes” by outsiders who are looking for dates? Do the young adults want a class busybody hanging out in their youth group and spreading rumors about all of their personal interactions?
So the question remains, who is our biggest fear – ourselves, others, or God? One of the most common things people fear is the world, especially since it has quite the reputation for being a tough, unforgiving place. However, if we have God as the center of our lives, the Bible teaches the world is not our fear…although we should use wisdom when dealing with it. Jesus Christ himself said we would have trouble in this world, but he also said we would have peace since he overcame the world. (John 16:33)
Look at the testimony of Stephen in the Book of Acts. Stephen served God by ministering in the Jewish synagogues. Stephen was extremely effective at stirring up the consciences of the Jewish elders. So effective, that the elders later set up false witnesses who accused Stephen of blasphemy and had him stoned to death. (Acts 6:8-14; 7:54-59) However, as Stephen was dying, he prayed the following words – “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” (Acts 7:60 NIV) Stephen’s testimony tells us that we should not blame others for anything they do to us, but forgive them…no matter how terrible the act.
Basically, our biggest fear is likely ourselves, especially in how we react to any given situation. We need to focus on having our will submitted over to the work of the Holy Spirit, by allowing him to act as a compass for our personal lives. Otherwise, if we allow other people to guide our conscience, the direction for our personal lives can be easily swayed back and forth at the discretion of others around us. There is still a need for fellowshipping with others. In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he mentions the importance of building others up, by utilizing the spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit has given to each of us. He also reminds us, as we mature as believers, “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. (Ephesians 4:14 NIV)
Now if we have Jesus Christ as our advocate to God, then we can look beyond fearing God and others around us…even though, we still may suffer the repercussions from the actions of others. If we consider ourselves mature, strong Christians, then the concept of reaching out to others – who may not act or look like us – should not be a question for our lives, but rather a living testimony of our personal walk with the Lord. Do we focus on separating ourselves from the sinners of the world? Or are we focusing on helping people separate the sin from their lives, by teaching them about Jesus Christ’s love for them. Ultimately, we should reach out to all people, regardless of their walks in life, and share the love of Jesus Christ with them. When it comes to overcoming fear, we need to reflect on the Apostle Paul’s words to the Philippians – “I can do all things through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13 NIV)
