Fear
For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind! 1 Timothy 1:7
“Do not be afraid!” God spoke to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Joshua. Three hundred and sixty-five times in scripture God has spoken this message to His people. “Do not fear.”
It would appear that 1 Timothy 1:7 is setting fear and a sound mind, or faith, at opposite ends of the continium. Faith is good, fear is bad.
Fear is a familiar friend as it seduces us into believing or thinking in ways that are contrary to a life of dependence upon God. Adam and Eve were afraid to they would miss out on more knowledge so they ate of the fruit. The prodigal was afraid he would miss out on all the pleasures life had to offer. Saul was afraid David would overthrow his kingdom.
Today, in the richest country of the world, we live in fear of what we may be missing out on, or that someone will get something we are entitled to. Advertisers seek to heighten the discontentment and fear we have lying inside of us. Fear causes a breakdown in relationships. I don’t share my pain with my wife because I fear her response or lack of response. A wife may stop being sexual with her husband out of fear of getting close to him and being rejected once again. Teenagers may take drugs or have pre-marital sex because they are afraid of standing up for their beliefs.
The natural follow up question then would be, “If I let go of my fear, what do I replace it with?” Scripture talks about a life of faith.
As counselors we daily ask people to examine what is driving their decisions. Are they running away from something (fear) or to something (faith)? Are they obsessing about someone (fear) or resting in Him (faith)?
The thing that is so ironic about these choices is that even when we act in fear it is a form of faith. Fear is faith in ourselves, in what we can or cannot accomplish. We rely upon our own wisdom, resources, and abilities to solve our situational crisis.
Finally, there is a healthy fear, a reverence and respect of God. Scripture says, “it is the beginning of wisdom.” A healthy fear of God combined with a fearless determination to follow Him will put us on the path to power, love and a sound mind!
