Fear (not)

Beloved, how blessed we are to live in a glorious time such as this.

You probably just read that sentence, if you’re alive and reading this in 2022, and thought to yourself that I’ve lost the plot. How on earth could I say it’s a ‘glorious’ time to be alive??? I’ll admit, just a few days and weeks ago I would have challenge anyone who said that sort of phrase. To be quite frank, I’ve hated the last 2 years on this earth. The challenges have been incredible to surmount. But in 2022, I believe we are destined to overcome and have overcome.

There’s been one thread that has been mercilessly woven through this last season around the world: FEAR. It’s being subtly crammed down our throats. It’s everywhere. It’s in the TV commercials. It’s in the internet based advertising. It’s in the media (mainstream or not). It’s in our social media feeds. And most of all it’s been burrowed down in our hearts….

Unless….

There is a better way. Paul called it ‘a more excellent way’ in his letter to the Corinthians. [1 Corinthians 12.31] And what follows is one of the most quoted and memorized portions of the New Testament known to man. LOVE. John goes a little more in depth, he goes so far as to say that fear is cast in in perfect love. ‘There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.’

There is so much here. On the surface, who would really say that Fear and Love are opposites? It almost doesn’t make sense. Wouldn’t the antonym to Love be Hate? Wouldn’t the opposite to fear be courage or bravery? So with that, I believe there are lessons to be learned here regarding fear. No calamity goes down without an opportunity to learn and grow deeper in the Lord. The Father has every intention to pursue us….through it all: good, bad or ugly. Why would this pandemic be any different?

Lately, I’ve really been thinking about the topic of fear. I haven’t been able to shake it. Everything in me wanted (let me be honest, still wants) to project confidence that I was not fearful. I didn’t want to admit the itemized list of things I feared (and still fear at times). Finances, shelter, faith, family, health, friendships. This fear was pervasive and spreading like wildfire. It almost consumed me, internally. This, my friends, is something that doesn’t just pop up out of nowhere and most certainly is not ‘dealt’ with overnight. The first time, in recent memory at least, that I identified this fear affliction was about 2.5 years ago. I remember pretty vividly hearing and praying to the Lord: I want to trust You, with everything. He planted a seed, 30 months ago, that will one day grow into a tree of assurance. This is the type of spiritual tree that no storm or fire or wave can knock down because it is planted in the firm soil, the soil found in the Heart of the Father. For the Lord is our firm foundation.

Can you see the beautiful nature of the Father in this micro-story? He opted to reveal something to me before the entire world was flipped upside down? He began to teach me to trust Him, and Him alone. I think of the Jewish prayer, the Shema. It’s simply profound:

What a glorious prayer. So simple, so deep and so desperately needed in this time.

Trust me, I could say a lot more about the fear I’ve experienced and agreed with over the last few years. I could go into more detail, but the theme has been expressed here. Essentially, to sum it up, I was attempting to remain in control of my life. I would say, ‘Lord, I trust you’ out of my mouth but in my heart I would tighten the grip on my life through various egotistical methods. I was too uncomfortable to relinquish the right to my life, even though I know it is the best thing to do.

And then just yesterday, I referenced a scripture that it turns out I jotted down in error a few months ago. But it ended up being a word from the Lord; the heart of this Psalm I misquoted was EXACTLY what I needed to hear in that moment:

My hope is in You. Oh Lord, you see my innermost being. You know when I rise, when I fall, when I’m joy filled and when I mourn. You were there before I was born and will continue for many thousands of generations after I pass away. My trust is in You, my confidence comes solely from Your Love. If the birds and the sparrows worry not about where their sustenance comes from, I, even more, trust in my Heavenly Father whose heart is for me.

Mighty God, Perfect Father, I give you access to every corner and avenue in my life. Help me, daily, to see Your goodness and kindness and faithfulness. I praise you, Abba, for You alone are good. I prayer today also for all my brothers and sisters around the world. I lift them up in to your loving hands and pray for strength in their life. I ask for your presence to be made manifest daily. Pursue them with Your perfect will.

Come Lord, Jesus come.