Summing Up Fear

Fear can be a good thing. If you are standing on the street and a Mac truck comes careening toward you out of control, the fear that gives you the added motivation to jump out of the way is entirely  reasonable. There is a fear of God which we are told is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7; Job 28:28; Ecclesiastes 12:13). Now I do believe there is here an idea of awe and astonishment at God and His greatness. Even John, who was the disciple the Lord loved (John 13:23), was overwhelmed by Jesus in glory (Revelation 1:17). But I also think there is some value in Martin Luther’s explanation that we start out in fear of God because we realize we are sinners, who fall far short of His holiness (Romans 3:23; Isaiah 64:6; Jeremiah 17:9). However, then as we come to understand God’s love for us (Romans 5:6-8; John 3:16-18; 1 John 4:9-10) and put our faith in Christ for salvation (Ephesians 2:8,9; Romans 4:4,5; Philippians 3:9), we can come to stand in confidence before Him (1 John 4:4:17,18; Hebrews 4:16; Philippians 1:6). And this is the antidote to our other unnecessary fears.

God will provide for our physical needs (Matthew 6:25-24; Philippians 4:19; 1 Timothy 6:6-8).  He promises to hear and answer our prayers (Philippians 4:6,7; 1 John 5:14,15; 1 Peter 5:7). Now this does not mean we will not have troubles in this world; in fact, we are told we will (John 16:33; Acts 14:22; 2 Corinthians 12:10). But God is in control of this world and is working even the bad things out to serve His purpose (Romans 8:28; Genesis 50:20; Ephesians 1:11). So we need to realize that even when things seem to be falling apart (Psalm 46:1-3; 18:4-15; 37:1,2), we can trust God (Psalm 46:10; Proverbs 3:5,6; Psalm  37:3-6).

God also provides for our spiritual needs (2 Peter 1:3; Ephesians 1:13; Colossians 2:10). He is at work in us to transform us (2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 2:10; Colossians 1:29). Also, He has forgiven us if we have put our faith in Christ (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 2:13,14; 1 Peter 2:24,25), and He promises to cleanse and restore us if we confess our current sins (1 John 1:9; Proverbs 28:13; Psalm 51:1-4). Therefore, we can put our sins behind us and go on with Him (Philippians 3:13; 2 Corinthians 7:10; Romans 8:33,34).

He also provides for our ultimate needs, that we may be with Him forever (John 14:1-3; Revelation 21:3-5; Philippians 3;20,21). And we can have assurance that He will bring us through (1 John 5:11-13; John 10:27-30; Romans 8:38,39). This puts in perspective the trials of this present life (2 Corinthians 4:17,18; Romans 8:18; 5:1-5). But God has promised we will ultimately be victorious (Romans 8:35-37; 2 Corinthians 2:14; 1 Corinthians 15:54-57).  Therefore, if we understand who God is and what He has done for us, and particularly that He loves us, it puts the fears we face in proper perspective.

The Fear We Do Not Matter

Have you ever considered what it would be like to be the hero at a difficult point of an adventure? To be Obi-Wan Kenobi going into hiding with almost all the other Jedi dead. Or to be Frodo on the way across the land of Mordor with only Sam Gamgee as a helper. It would be easy to believe that the story was over and everything was hopeless. We who are viewing things from the outside know better, but it would be different if we were in the story. When we look at our own story, it is often not clear whether we have failed or whether we are at a hard place in the story. Or, even worse, we may fear we are an extra, a bit player, who really makes no difference in how the story turns out. We fear that, in the final analysis, we and our lives do not matter.

This is why we need to understand that, if we are believers in Christ, God is in control of our lives and is leading us were He wants us to go to accomplish His purpose. In Ephesians 2:10 we are told that (if we have trusted in Him as it says in Ephesians 2:8,9) we are made by Him to carry out those things He has planned for us to do. In Romans 8:28 it says God causes all things together for good to those who love God, and in Ephesians 1:11 it says God works all things according to the counsel of His will. God has already written our story for us. We don’t necessarily know what will happen, what the twists and turns are, what will happen in the hard places. We cannot guess beforehand that Darth Vader is our father or that the wanderer Strider is the heir of ancient kings. But we do know the ending. In Romans 8:37 it says that in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. I used to wonder about this, since sometimes I don’t feel like a conqueror and sometimes it doesn’t look like I am a conqueror. But I am convinced that this is written from God’s perspective; He has seen the whole story and He says that we are the winners.

This does not mean we cannot disobey God, though God has a way of putting us back on the path (see the book of Jonah). But it does mean we cannot be insignificant. We have a part in that great story that goes down the ages written by the hand of God. We can think, if only that had not happened I could accomplish something meaningful. Or sometime in the future I might be able to make a difference. But the God who made us in our mother’s womb (Psalms 139:13-16) has a plan for our life. Not a plan that might be, but a plan that is.

Fear of Sin

There is, I believe, a legitimate fear of sin. One that is based on our love of God and results in a fear of doing what displeases Him. But there is a fear of sin that simply tears us down. That sends us dredging up things in the past and second- and third-guessing everything we do. It can also send us rationalizing our sin or blaming it on other people to avoid admitting the fact that we have sinned. We are all sinners (Romans 3:23; Jeremiah 17:9; Isaiah 64:6). But if we put our faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8,9; Romans 4:4,5; Philippians 3:9), our sins are forgiven by God (Romans 8:33,34; 5:6-11; Ephesians 1:7). But God wants to transform us (2 Corinthians 3:17; Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:11-14) and requires our involvement (Romans 12:1,2; Hebrews 12:1,2; Galatians 5:16). What we we need is enough fear of sin to make us turn to God in repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10; Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:8-10), but not so much that we despair or live in denial and pretend it does not exist (Genesis 3:7-13; Matthew 27:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:12). We do not want to be cavalier about sin, feeling it is not a problem because God will forgive us, but we also do not to go through life paralyzed or haunted by guilt. This is a delicate balance, but we must avoid going off track one way or the other.  

Fear of Death

One of the great fears of all human beings is the fear of death. But we need to ask why. If human being are just animals and death is really natural, why do we fear it so? Should we not accept it as a natural part of life? Scripture says it is an invader, the result of sin in the world (Genesis 3:14-19; Romans 5:12-14; Ecclesiastes 3:11). But Christ in His resurrection overcame death (1 Corinthians 15:45-58; Romans 5:15-17; Hebrews 2:9-16). Therefore, we who put our faith in Him will conquer death with Him (John 14:1-19;  11:25,26; 1 Corinthians 15:20-26). But death is still a matter for fear. This was vividly brought clear to me in my wife's recent operation for cancer. But death is a conquered foe, and we do not have to face it as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Romans 8:18-25; Revelation 21:4).

Fear of Having Your Faith Challenged

One fear Christians commonly have is a fear of having our faith challenged. But this is a situation we need to face rather than run away from. Now I started out as an agnostic. I accepted Christianity because it made rational sense. I am convinced there are good arguments in its favor. I am not going to detail them here, but I have spent a good deal of the rest of this blog putting them forth.

I obviously cannot guarantee that a person who examines the evidence will reach my conclusions. But I believe an unexamined faith, afraid to face the issues, will lead to someone who lacks the confidence to face the world or do the things that God has called them to do. And such a faith is not likely to be able to stand up to real challenges when they come, and they generally will. Also, I question whether a faith that collapses when challenged was really a genuine faith. So I would encourage people to examine their faith, but I would admonish them to be sure to look at the arguments on both sides of the issue.  

Fear of the Circumstances of Life

Sometimes we can concentrate on vast, global fears and ignore the prosaic, everyday fears. I have found that these greats fears can often affect us less than the common daily struggles. Sometimes it is easier to trust God for salvation or the fate of the world than the money to pay the bills next month. One of the problems here is that God does not promise He will always make the problems immediately go away (2 Corinthians 12:7-10; 4:16-18; John 16:33). God does promise, in the long run, to take care of His people (Philippians 4:19; Matthew 6:25-34; Romans 8:28) and to hear our prayers (Philippians 4:6,7; 1 John 5:14,15; Matthew 7:7-11). But He does this in His way and according to His timing. Therefore, we need to trust Him (Proverbs 3:5,6; Psalms 37:3-6; 127:1,2) and wait on Him for His timing (Isaiah 40:31; Psalms 46:10; 130,5,6). But as my own experience shows, this is often easy to say and hard to do. And God is still working on this in me.

The Fear of Authority and Anarchy

I think most of us are haunted by one or the other of two opposite fears. Or sometimes a mixture of both. One is the fear of authority. The fear of someone bossing us around and telling us what to do. Particularly if that person is harsh and unreasonable and not really interested in our welfare. I think that conspiracy theories and government paranoia thrillers originate in this fear. We are afraid a heartless despot is really in control of our life. But there is a powerful and opposite fear of anarchy. A fear that all the protective sanctions of society are in danger of breaking down or already have broken down. There is the fear that there is nothing to protect us from people behaving in a lawless or harmful manner. This view can advocate strict order in society and see any departure from that order as a serious danger.

While both of these views are unreasonable extremes, the answer is not to pooh-pooh both and claim that there are no problems and everything is okay. There have been cases of serious abuse of authority, and the evils of totalitarianism are very real. Also, there has been real suffering in times of anarchy, when some catastrophe has caused society to break down. We are sinners and capable of considerable evil (Romans 3:23; Jeremiah 17:9; Isaiah 64:6). Rather, we need to remember there is a God who loves us (John 3:16-18; Romans 5:6-8; 1 John 4:9,10), and if we put our faith in Him, He will bring us through the difficulties we face and use them for our benefit (2 Corinthians 4:17,18; Romans 8:28; Genesis 50:20). Therefore, we can trust Him, whatever other people may do (Proverbs 3:5,6; Psalms 37:1-6; 147:10,11). There is, I think, a proper balance between freedom and authority that is hard to maintain. But totally giving in to fear on one side or the other only gets in the way.

Fear of Failure

One of the great fears is fear of failure. This can include moral failure or practical failure. I am convinced that inadequacy is humanist guilt. People throw out moral standards and replace them with secular standards that are often more severe than the moral ones. It is not enough to be a virtuous person; you must be a success. This turns us away from things that we can at least in principle control to things we frequently have no control over. Now Christianity says that all of us are moral failures (Romans 3:23; Jeremiah 17:9; Isaiah 64:6), but we can be forgiven in Christ (Ephesians 1:7; Romans 8:33,34; John 3:16-18) if we put our faith in Him (Ephesians 2:8,9; Romans 4:4,5; Philippians 3:9). Also, while a willingness to work is a moral requirement (2 Thessalonians 3:10-12; Ephesians 4:28; Proverbs 6:6-11), we should not hold ourselves or others responsible for success, something we can neither control or demand. Rather, we should recognize that God is in control of our lives (Ephesians 2:10;1:11; Romans 8:28) and we need to trust Him with them (Proverbs 3:5,6; Psalms 127:1,2; 37:3-6). But it is easy to compartmentalize and to believe our sins are forgiven by God but our failures are still something we need to feel guilty about. However, we need to get rid of the dual standards and apply God's forgiveness to everything that requires forgiveness. That we may not be burdened down by unnecessary guilt and unnecessary fear. 

Fear of Lack of Meaning

One of the most basic fears of modern times is that life has no meaning. Having lost the idea that there is a God who made the world and is concerned about us, we are frequently left with an idea of meaninglessness. We can feel we are merely white rats stuck in a maze or computer circuits in a large machine. And we can try to define ourselves or create meaning for ourselves. But this is a hopeless endeavor. We can no more define ourselves or create meaning for ourselves than we can pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps with no bootstraps. It all becomes a meaningless game. This fear is one that Christianity speaks to very directly. It says there is a God who loves us and sent His Son to save us (Romans 5:6-8; John 3:14-18; 1 John 4:9,10) if we put our faith in Him (Romans 4:4,5; Ephesians 2:8,9; Philippians 3:9). This results in God working in our lives to carry out His purposes in the world (Ephesians 2:10; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Colossians 1:28,29). This gives us a goal of doing good to others (Galatians 6:9,10; 1 John 4:11,12; Romans 13:8-10). God's saving grace has the ultimate goal of our being with God forever (John 10:27-30; 1 John 5:11-13, Romans 8:38,39). This gives meaning and context to our lives. But it is easy, even for those who have trusted Christ, to fall back into this fear of meaninglessness. So we need to remind ourselves of who we are and what our purpose is. We need to know what we believe and why we believe it. For we need to avoid falling into the void of meaninglessness that characterizes our culture.

The Fear of Apocalypse

We live in an apocalyptic age. We live in fear of the end of the world. Whether it's nuclear holocaust or environmental catastrophe. Not to mention the year 2000 bug and the end of the Mayan calendar. Christians, in disobedience to the clear teaching of Scripture (Matthew 24:36-51; Acts 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3), have often jumped on this same bandwagon, to the discredit of Christian faith. Now Christianity does have the ultimate answer to this fear, that Christ will one day come and remake us and the world we are in (Romans 8:19-23; Philippians 3:20,21; 1 Corinthians 15:50-58). But we are clearly told we do not know the time. And false predictions undermine rather than help our position. We should have hope, based on what Christ has promised us (Romans 8:24,25; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:11-14). But we must avoid letting ourselves so fall into the modern apocalyptic thought pattern that we see this only as an escape from the present crisis, rather than a confidence that can, if necessary, lead us through life even if Christ tarries.

Fear - The Opposite of Faith

We think of the opposite of faith as doubt. And from a certain perspective, it is. But from another perspective, the opposite is fear. Doubt can even be seen as the fear that God's truth and promises are not true. "Do not fear" is one of the most common statements of Scripture. We live in a world full of fears, real and imagined. It is only as we put our faith in God that we can face those fears (Proverbs 3:5,6; Psalms 37:3-6; Hebrews 11:6). In future posts I would like to look at our fears and ask how faith in God speaks to those fears. We live in a time when we seem to be surrounded by fears. I do not claim to have any easy, pat answers, but I think we need to face the issue and discuss it.