You're Not the Boss of MeSýnishorn

PRAYER:

God when I am feeling afraid, help me to remember that you are more powerful than my fear. 

READING:

Fear – Part 2

In yesterday’s reading, Jesus taught the apostles a lesson about fear by showing them there was something more capable and powerful than fear.

A few days later, Jesus came back to this topic.

“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” - Matthew 10:28

If you’re going to fear something, you should fear God.

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” -Matthew 10:29–31

God considers you extraordinarily valuable. And this was Jesus's way of saying that God is a personal God: He knows your name, He knows your circumstances, and He is concerned about your life. When we are facing something that overwhelms us with fear, many times all we need is to know with confidence that God knows what we're going through.

After Jesus performed the miracle of feeding 5,000 people from five loaves of bread and two fish, He sent the apostles on another field trip.

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” - Matthew 14:22–27

As long as Jesus is with you, there’s no need to fear. Even when there’s something to be afraid of, you don’t have to allow fear to be the boss of you.

When Jesus was crucified, the apostles thought everything they had believed about Jesus had been wrong. But then they peered into an empty tomb. And then they met their living friend. Jesus's resurrection validated everything He had taught, especially what He said about fear. The apostles did not fear, and they willingly faced down the same men who’d had Jesus arrested, beaten, and crucified. And then the apostles went on to change the world.

When Jesus says to you, “Do not be afraid," you can do that—not because there's nothing to be afraid of, but because you have fastened your affection and attention on the one who deserves all your trust, reverence, and fear.

Fear is a permanent part of the human experience. But no one wants fear to be the boss of them. And it doesn’t have to be—because you have a boss who conquered life and who conquered death. He is who He claimed to be. He is worthy of our worship. 

The life of Jesus is an invitation and a promise. It's an invitation to follow Him and a promise that you can follow without fear. Because even when there's something to be afraid of, He is with you. 

REFLECTION:

Based on his experiences with Jesus, the apostle Peter said, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). How can you do that in a practical way today?