Scared to Death Needlessly

While there are many who would debate the merits of social media, i.e. Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, etc…, much of its worth or lack thereof can be based upon the individual using such program.  While I must confess I have never tried Instagram or Snapchat I am quite fond of Twitter and Facebook with the former being more enjoyable than the latter.  Regardless of which you choose, if any, they can be quite helpful in dispersing information to your followers or friends.  In fact, this afternoon I saw a friend had posted that their church office would be closing early due to the inclement weather in the area.  In addition to keep up to date on last minute happenings with friends, family, and organizations I enjoy following various pastors, theologians, writers, and such of the Christian community.  By doing so I am able to receive spiritual insights and thought provoking ideas from these men. 

One of those I follow on Twitter is Christian author and speaker named Richard Blackaby.  Earlier today I read a tweet (a message of Twitter) which he retweeted from his sons, Michael and Daniel.  The tweet not only grabbed my attention but also made me start thinking heavily regarding its deep truths.  The young men stated, “God never takes us around our fears; He takes us through them.”  (For those in the world of twitter and hashtag they closed their message with #WhenWorldsCollide.)  As I read this I was reminded of times when I have asked others what their greatest fear might be and other people have asked me the same question. 

When I think on this topic of fear I can even recall seeing people literally paralyzed due to their fear.  Years ago while on a leadership retreat with a group of young leaders from the church I was serving at the time I watched as a young lady stood on a six-foot tall platform trembling and frozen in her tracks for over one-hour before she would fall backwards into the waiting arms of her fellow leaders.  On another occasion I watched as former star football player dangled from a rope on the side of a mountain refusing to go any farther down repelling because he had such a phobia of heights.  Lest you think I am sitting here being judgmental of other people and their fears, I too have found myself frozen and suspended in time due to a fear, the fear of failure. 

Why do we allow fears to capture our thoughts and actions?  Why do we allow our phobias to manipulate our thoughts so completely that we fail to develop into the person God created us to become?  As I have shared in a message before there was a saying by Francis Chan which really made me evaluate my fear.  That statement by Chan reads, “Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” 

What do you fear today?  Is it something over which you have no control?  Then why worry?  Is it something which in the light of eternity really will not matter?  Then why waste precious time and energy?  Is it something which we can submit to God in good conscience?  Wouldn’t it be wise to remember that scripture reminds of how our God cares for our needs, hurts, and desires?  Didn’t Jesus give us a comforting word when He spoke in Matthew 6:25-34 about how he cares for the birds of the air and the flowers of the field attending to their needs?  In those same verses He also reminded us of our greater value in comparison to these two creations.  Then we must not forget the words of Paul when he writes in Philippians 1:6 “I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”  I go back to what the Blackaby boys said, “God never takes us around our fears; He takes us through them.”  The great part is that we do not trek through these fears, storms, or difficulties alone.  For our God stated in Psalm 23: 4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; you rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Trust in our Lord Today!
 

Pastor Ric,