It’s ok to be afraid

Some of the Bible’s most encouraging verses tell us not to be afraid – that God is with us. Some argue the fear of God is the only good fear.

This can lead people to a feeling of inadequacy or worthlessness.

Leaders, especially, should not be afraid… because they know they can rest on the Lord, and should set a good example of a peaceful heart. And they should exhort their followers to show no fear and a complete boldness in everything they undertake.

Wrong.

Image: Wil Wheaton, reused under CC license

God knows us perfectly. He knows our fears, and he knows how to deal with them if and when appropriate. Look at what he says to Gideon:

“But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant.” (Judges 7:10, ESV).

Gideon does not try to look tough in front of God. He does not try to pretend he’s not afraid. He takes God’s advice, acknowledges his own fear and goes down to the camp.

In the same way, we should not try to pretend we’re not afraid: it can only lead to that fear taking hold of us, or to a feeling of undue pride and self-importance.

Conversely, though, we should recognise when our “fear” is a lie. When it is simply disguising laziness or fickleness in front of a decision. The fact that God knows us and loves us and is on our side means that he will deal with our fear, if it is real, in due time.

Ever since I started to feel a call towards ministry, I have felt the fear that I was mistaken. That I wouldn’t be up to the task. God has dealt with that fear, in many various ways (including making me stumble upon a few great bloggers – thanks Ben; and including leading me to certain parts of Scripture). But still now, I sometimes feel like I’m afraid to make the wrong decision. That fear is a lie – it is simply a way for me to justify putting off decisions; and recognising it helps.

Which of your fears are lies? Which are real?

http://www.facebook.com/people/Stephen-Wigmore/61311392 Stephen Wigmore

I really like this. Fear is a constant part of life, and a natural thing especially when faced with God’s majesty and the amazing/crazy things he wants us to do. To misquote CS Lewis,

“If there’s anyone who can appear before the Living God without their knees knocking they’re either braver than most or just silly.

“Then he isn’t safe?”

“Safe? Don’t you hear what I tell you? Who said anything about safe? Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

God scares us because he challenges us and because he knows us utterly and the Universe is utterly his. And that’s pretty scary because ultimately we’re totally vulnerable before that power. But the Bible makes it very clear. Fundamentally, and especially when speak the name of Jesus, God is on our side and he is compassionate, supportive Love towards us. He challenges us to do better, but that is only through his great Love for us, because he knows with his aid we can be and do some much more and he wants us to be all we can be.

And that means that as long as we approach that with love, and try to do his will, that awesome power is for us and as such, although we may see setbacks, some of them terrible, but we always know that God’s power will overcome in the end. As such although we will probably always still be afraid, like even Jesus was, we have no reason to let that paralyse us. For we know God’s power and his love will always overcome.
http://danblackonleadership.com/ Dan Black

Great points here. I believe if God calls us to do or accomplish something, even if we are fearful, we must rely on Him and do it anyway. During those time facing our fear by doing it is so important.
- http://edsslipper.net/ Pierre
  
  I recently read, in Dewar’s “Called or Collared”, this:
  “Sin is basically the failure to respond to God’s invitation (…) Sin is when [the seed] falls among thistles and we are seduced by the glamorous, or the superficial, or the safe; when we prefer to feed our egos or guard our imagined securities, rather than risk responding to God’s personal word to us.”
  
  Yes, when we are called, it is of prime importance to rely on God to see us through — but that requires faith greater than what we sometimes have. Facing our fears? Maybe. Acknowledging them? Definitely; but as with Gideon, there are sometimes way to circumvent them, and simply following on through the trials, through the fire and through the rain, isn’t always the best way.
  
  Trust in God also goes through trust that He knows us best and He knows our fears… and grasping all the opportunities to defeat them without necessarily facing them headfront!

Ed's Slipper

About predestination and smaller matters

It’s ok to be afraid