So, while I was at catalyst last week, Mark Driskoll spoke on the topic of "fear not" ... and seriously, it was so much like the email I had posted earlier last week that I just let it sit for a while.
But I've kept coming back to it for several reasons. The first is that I cannot get away from the fact that the command to "fear not" is the MOST frequently listed command in scripture. And that got me to wondering why. And I am pretty sure it's because I am not the only person who has a hard time being brave.
I mean, Moses did have EVERY excuse under the sun for why God shouldn't use him. Jonah ran away from God ... well, tried. Thomas doubted ... isn't that really a form of fear? God told Joshua to not fear ... and Abraham ... and Isaac ... and Elijah ... and David ... and Mary ... and Daniel ... well, you get the point ...
Here is what Mark said, Fear is ...
1. Fear is vision, without hope. When we see the worst possible scenario. I have this down pat, and I can run those plays all night long!
2. Fear is not always rational, but it is powerful. I mean, I am pretty sure I didn't have to cover EVERY picture of snakes in the biology book when I was teaching ... pretty sure they weren't gonna come through the page and bite me ... but you cannot be too careful. (I wish I was lying here!)
3. Fear is about not getting what we want ... or about getting what we don't want ... or about losing what we got. Yep!
4. Fear preaches a false gospel. A false hell. False heaven. And a false savior.
Fear turns us into false prophets. We decide what will make everything better ... or worse. We predict a future that will never happen and cause fear about it.
The answer to fear is — Fear Not!
Easier said than done ... I know. And how exactly do we do that?
Mark helped me out here too by pointing out that the command to "fear not" is often paired with the claim that we are not alone! HE is with us. HE IS WITH US! What can we possibly have to fear when HE, the King of the universe, lover of our soul, keeper of our deepest secrets, owner of the cows on a thousand hills, parter of the Red Sea, Father God Almighty is WITH US!
Matthew 28:20 gives us Christ's parting words ...
Behold! I am WITH YOU ... ALWAYS ... to the end.
So, being brave means relinquishing any reason to fear because we are not alone. He's not left us, forgotten us or forsaken us, even when it may feel a bit that way. He can't.
There's a quote that is attributed to Ambrose Redmoon that says:
Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.
I submit that which is more important than fear is knowing that He is with us.
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