Moriah Peters- BraveSample

Oh Fear

Fear is a funny thing – or at least it’s something we’ve be trained to take lightly. Scary movies, roller coasters and prank TV shows all prey on our worst nightmares. As much as I love a good thrill, I’ve realized that there’s a thin line between entertaining apprehension and crippling anxiety. This may come as news to some of us, but submitting to fear is a sin. In Joshua 1:9, The Lord commands us to "not be afraid or terrified,” meaning that stressing to the point of developing stomach aches and neck knots is wrong.

Wrong.

But why? Why is it a bad thing to allow fear to permeate our bodies and influence our thinking? We're not hurting anyone, right?

Wrong.

We're hurting ourselves and the heart of God. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. We were NOT made to be fearful and worrisome. Not to mention that we are running away from the adventurous path that God wants us to take in life. No great thing has ever been accomplished by reluctance, hesitation and selfishness. Think about the cross. What Jesus Christ did for us was BRAVE, but there's no doubt that he felt fear and anxiety as he prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me” (Matt. 26:39). Feeling fear is part of our human nature. It’s a God-given emotion, but the moment we allow fear to keep us from doing what we know we are called to do, it becomes a sin that renders us useless for the kingdom.

I've struggled with fear and anxiety for as long as I can remember. If there's one thing I've learned about the subject, it’s that fear is selfish. It’s turning a blind eye towards the priceless cross and choosing to stare at our own insufficiencies instead. It’s ignoring the power that fueled every excruciating step of Christ’s crucifixion even though it is readily accessible to each and every one of us. Let’s shift our gaze from how frightened we are to how mighty God is. Once our focus is fixed on God, He will begin to do “exceedingly and abundantly more than we could ask or imagine according to His power that is at work within us” (Eph. 3:20).