Do not fear

“Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.'” Isaiah 41:13

Do not fear – Fear is a big concern in the Bible.  Someone told me that the command to not be afraid is used 366 times in Scripture.  Why does God feel it necessary to repeat this idea over and over?  Because God knows that the real question of life is this: what kind of world do you live in?

There are two different worldviews competing for your allegiance.  The first is the world of constant familiarity.  It is a world of risk and fear.   It is the world of the nightly news where tragedy, risk and trauma are given prime importance.  This world is the world of security concerns, insurance protection, hedge funds and hurricane warnings.  It is the world of the terrorist, the thief, the con man and the kidnapper.  In this world, being afraid is an important component of capitalism.  We are taught to be afraid of bad breath, crooked teeth, wrinkles and out-of-fashion clothes.  This kind of fear produces all sorts of actions in attempt to reduce risk.  But in the end, this world is unpredictable, hostile and dangerous.  When I believe that the world is ultimately fearful, nothing I can do will actually overcome my dread of the future.  I will always confront “but what if”.

The second paradigm is God’s view of the world.  It is not based on fear.  It is based on the fact that God loves what He creates and that He can be trusted to manage His creation.  From God’s perspective, the only proper fear is the fear of Who He is.  That fear is designed to bring me to repentance and seek Him.  That fear produces faith in His grace and trustworthiness.  When I believe that the world is actually in the hands of an almighty God Who loves me and has my best interests at heart, I no longer dread the future.  In fact, I can give up trying to manage the consequences of my life.  I stop living with the myth of control and start living with the reality of submission.

“Do not fear”, says God.  Fear is not really an overpowering feeling.  Fear is a choice.  God tells me to make a decision to live in a world that is under His authority and to trust Him.  As long as I do not really trust God, my worldview will be based on some kind of fear.  I will behave in ways that seek to reduce that fear.  I may even seek God in this effort.  But I will never know Him until I am able to say, “Father, I trust you with my life completely.”