It is often common in mainstream Christianity to suggest that it is wrong for a Christian to ever feel fearful. That faulty perspective has compounded the problem of fear in the lives of believers by adding feelings of condemnation to the feelings of fear they already have. Now they have two problems instead of one.
It is ridiculous to think that, because we are Christians, we won’t experience feelings of fear. While it is true that God has not given us a spirit of fear (See 2 Timothy 1:7), don’t think it won’t show up on your doorstep anyway. The question is, “What are you going to do with it?”
Listen carefully to this statement and take it to heart: It is not a sin to have feelings of fear come upon you. Again, the focal point isn’t whether or not you ever feel fear. You will. Sometimes Christians think, “I shouldn’t feel this way.” No, feeling fear is normal in certain circumstances. The issue at hand is deciding how you will handle it when it comes.
When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemene on the night before His crucifixion, you will never convince me that He didn’t experience feelings of fear. What else would cause Him to sweat blood and ask His Father, if there was any way, for Him to take away what was to come? The pivotal moment in the biblical account of Jesus in that garden was the way he faced his fears.
Jesus faced his fears, then acted in faith. He didn’t succumb to them. Instead, He moved through them toward the Divine purpose of His life. He refused to give in to feelings of fear and, instead, moved forward with faith in His Father.
Our greatest threat is not fear. The greatest threat is inactivity because of fear. You will feel fear at times. The question is “will you face your fears and move through them, trusting God as you go forward with knocking knees or a nervous stomach.
General Norman Schwarzkopf is a man few people would call anything but courageous. In an interview, he was asked, “Is a General allowed to feel fear?” His answer was, “Sure, I hope so.” Schwarzkopf believes that feelings of fear can actually hone your senses and cause you to focus. To him, it isn’t feeling fear that is the problem. What is important is how you face it. The General said:
What is bad is when you allow that fear to turn into panic, and you allow that fear to petrify you to the point that you cannot perform whatever duty you have to do. That's the thing that's wrong with fear. But there's nothing wrong with being afraid. And true courage is not not being afraid. True courage is being afraid, and going ahead and doing your job anyhow, that's what courage is.
The Apostle Paul once wrote, “I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling” (1 Corinthians 2:3). When Paul faced the daunting assignment to go to Corinth and establish a church, he felt fear, but he acted anyway. Courage is acting boldly in the face of fear.
Do you feel fear about certain situations? Welcome to the human race! On the other hand, you aren’t just any human. You are a Christian. So face your fears and then move ahead with confidence that your Father will guide you each step of the way.
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