What do you fear?
When I ask this question, I am not asking of a healthy type of fear. I guess you could say a healthy fear would be a legitimate concern that prompts you to take action or refrain from taking action. A fear of the power of a severe storm can be a healthy concern, causing one to find shelter; a legitimate concern of what a wild animal can do will cause one to practice safe distance and make wise choices; a healthy fear will cause one to know how one should prepare in advance, and aids us in making wise and steady decisions.
When I ask "What do you fear?", I am asking what or who you may trust. Generally, when you and I fear, we are trusting in someone or something.
I would like to share some ideas from the lyrics of a song that resonated with me and my fears, and I hope it helps you as well. The song is called "I Shall Not Want" by the Galkin Evangelistic Group.
I am prone to every single fear, especially when I forget Who should be the focus of my trust. Because when someone asks me what I fear, my fears will show me the things or people or person I am trusting.
Let me just preface my fears with this... every temptation to fear is common to everyone, so I wish to help in telling you the truth about the fears we experience (see 1 Corinthians 10:13; Galatians 4:16). These are legitimate emotions and quite natural feelings. However, they should not lead us to sin nor to doubt God by not believing Him...
It is in these fears that arise in myself where I empathize with the words of a desperate father, "[I] cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." (Mark 9:24)
I am so thankful God has given us His way of escape through the Holy Spirit and His Word (see 2 Peter 1:2-4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Romans 15:14).
Allow me to break down some of my fears here:
When I come face-to-face to losing my own comfort, I worry and I fear.
- I am not the kind of person that desires to be uncomfortable. Honestly, who wants to be? And when I face the possibility of losing the comforts of where I am at or what I have, I have learned I am not trusting in the One Who provides for me and my true comfort-- the Holy Spirit (see John 14:18, 26; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
When I fear that I will have nothing to give, or nothing to obtain, I worry and I fear.
- I enjoy coming to a gathering, a relationship, a ministry, or such of the like with something to give. If I am being honest, I like to receive things as well. However, I need to remember that God is the one who gives me the grace and strength to serve Him and others; and God is the One Who will not withhold a good gift from me if He sees fit to give it (see 2 Corinthians 9:8; James 1:17).
When I lose life's possessions or good godly goals are not met, I worry and I fear.
- When I begin to focus on what I need right now, or what I need that I lost, I forget that God is good. He gives, and He takes away...but always for my good and His glory (see Job 1:21; Romans 8:28; 1 Corinthians 10:31).
When I am concerned with being understood for who I am now, and not who I used to be, I worry and I fear.
- This is self-explained in the fear. I want man's approval, but that's not the approval I should seek or fear. I should not covet an understanding I cannot control, even if I could control it (see Proverbs 29:25; Hebrews 13:5-6). I should rest in God's promise to create in me the likeness of His Son, and there is no need for me to prove it to anyone else... for that is the exact opposite of humility and meekness (see Philippians 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11, 24).
When I long to be accepted more than anything else, I worry and I fear.
- Often, this is a fear that arises from persecution or being seen as odd and different. It can also be something seemingly innocent in which I seek for the approval of a person or group of people. However, a Christian's goal should be to fear or reverence God and not ultimately seek a person's approval (see Psalm 56:4; again Proverbs 29:25; Colossians 3:23; 1 Peter 3:14).
When I am afraid of being lonely, that is me worrying and being fearful.
- The fact of the matter is, even when people are not around, the Lord is my Shepherd and is always with me... no matter what! (see Psalm 23, 139:1-18; Isaiah 41:10).
When I am cautious and careful in serving others, because of the pain and suffering that comes when sinners minister to other sinners, I worry and I fear.
- God did not create me to be fearful in showing His love. The more I understand Him and His love, the more I understand that I need not be afraid when I aid in the ministry of Jesus Christ to others. Regardless of the response, God is always ever present and will help me do what is right (see Psalm 46; 2 Timothy 1:7-14; 1 John 1 and 4:18).
When I might lose a loved one to death or when I am faced with death, I tend to worry and fear.
- First of all, I will emphasize again that this is a legitimate concern. Jesus even wept when someone He loved was lost to death (see the story of John 11:35). It just should not be a dominating fear. As of yet, I have not experienced the pain of a family member to death...although, it is a concern I have. However, I have experienced the death of a friend. The pain is real, and it hurts. And I have graciously found my comfort in the passages of Scripture and the Holy Spirit's comfort in my heart, and you can as well (see Psalm 34:18, 48:14, 73:26, 147:3; Isaiah 57:1-2; Matthew 5:4; John 11:25-26; 1 Corinthians 15:42-58; Revelation 21:4).
When trials and even temptations are on the horizon, and when they do come, I worry and I fear.
- This is because I forget that trials will come, and temptations will be there as long as I am alive. Anything that causes a disruption in our ideal life and disheartening in our spirit is a trial (James 1:2-27); and a temptation is common to everyone, but God is the escape that we need to seek (1 Corinthians 10:13). God has given us hope for both these concerns in His Word!
When I do not want to have humility, because the risk is having others walk all over me and not being able to speak my mind, I worry and I fear.
- The reasoning behind this fear is not a good one. It is, in fact, a sinful one (see 1 Peter 5:6-7; James 4, but specifically the last verse). No place in Scripture did the Lord say that the life of someone who follows Jesus Christ does not have to have humility exemplified for fear of losing control of the actions of others. This is a hard pill for me to swallow sometimes, because I very much enjoy knowing what is coming next and obtaining that control. However, why would God ever tell us to do something good and godly that He wouldn't then see fit to protect us from the potential sinful responses against us? Sometimes we are not able to respond with kind words in that moment, so we must humbly not respond; and even when we do respond with kind firm words, the sin is still committed against us. God said He would protect you and me (see Deuteronomy 32:35; Proverbs 24:17-18; Romans 12:17-21). His promise to do that should be enough for us. Me doing His will or that which pleases Him should be enough for me to obey, because I want to show Him that I love Him (John 14:15).
Obviously, there are more fears and worries in which many Christians and I myself even face, but the answers are in the Word of God... so, we and our concerns are not left hopeless (see again Romans 15:14; 2 Peter 1:2-4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
As I end this devotional on my fears, my hope and prayer for you and I is that which is recorded in Scripture... Psalm 34:1-9,
"I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.
I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
They looked unto Him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.
O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.
O fear the Lord, ye His saints: for there is no want to them that fear Him."
My question for you is similar to the one from the beginning, but it is an even more crucial one...
So, I ask, now...
Who do you fear? 😊
Some other encouraging songs:
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