Living Beyond Fear
Living Beyond Fear
But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.
4 Because you are precious in my sight,and honored, and I love you,
I give people in return for you,nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not fear, for I am with you…– Isaiah 43:1-5
In the past few weeks, we have seen and heard of things we never thought we would see. Churches have canceled or limited their worship and activities. Professional and college sports have canceled or postponed their seasons, including the Master’s Golf Tournament at Augusta National! From pre-school to Harvard, schools all over the country sent their students home. Students and teachers alike are getting accustomed to online education.
People are cleaning off the shelves of the stores, preparing for a coronavirus Armageddon. A friend who went to Costco said, “It’s like going to war out there!” I saw a photo of a near-empty shelf with the caption, “It’s gotten so bad, even the cats are hoarding kitty litter!”
This seemingly crazy behavior is part rational and part of fear. We don’t know what might happen with the coronavirus, and that uncertainty makes us afraid. Be thankful for good leaders who are making thoughtful, wise and compassionate decisions to protect us.
Fear: A Common Human Experience
Fear is a common human experience, a part of our deepest human nature. Fear enables us to act quickly when we are in danger, to run faster or fight harder. Fear happens whenever we feel threatened, as when we are attacked by an invisible biological enemy.
What causes you to fear? What makes your heart start to race, and your muscles tense, ready to run? What situations in your life cause you to be afraid?
Throughout the Bible, we read over and over these words from God, “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.” Do not be afraid. Do not be afraid.
We need that assurance because fear is such a natural reaction. We need to know God is with us no matter what the situation. But, how can we not be afraid?
Wolf of Fear, Wolf of Peace
In a book titled, “How God Changes Your Brain,” the authors, Andrew Newberg, M.D. and Mark Robert Waldman tell an old Cherokee legend about a young boy who went to his grandfather for advice about a conflict he had with a young friend.
The elder listened and quietly replied, “I often feel as if there are two wolves fighting inside of me. One is mean and greedy, angry and fearful. The other is peaceful and generous, acting in loving ways toward others. All the time these two wolves struggle for dominance within me. My boy, you have those same two wolves inside of you.”
The boy thought about it for a moment and said, “Grandfather, which one of the wolves inside of me will win?” The elder put his arm on the boy and replied, “The one you feed. The one you feed will win.”
Like that Cherokee boy, our human nature harbors a fearful, aggressive wolf. This wolf is always the fastest, acting before the thoughtful wolf. It causes us to react fearfully when we feel threatened in some way.
But, we also have a peaceful, compassionate, loving wolf. This is the presence of God within us. This is the wolf of faith, calm compassion, and peace.
Which Wolf Will Win in You?
The one you feed. The one you allow your mind to dwell on. The one you feed with what you read, what you watch on television, what you talk about, and what you think about. When your mind is centered on the peace of God that surpasses understanding, the wolf of peace and love will win.
God says to us, “Do not be afraid, I have called you by name; you are mine.” When you pass through the deepest of waters, I will be with you. When you walk through the hottest of fires you will not be burned. No matter what hard situation in life you face, I will be with you. You are precious in my sight.
Which wolf will you feed? Will you fill your heart and mind with the presence of God, who says, “Do not be afraid, I am with you?” Or, will you choose to fill your mind with worry about what you cannot control, and anxiety of some catastrophe that might (or might not) happen? Do you feed the wolf of God’s calm, loving presence, or the wolf of fear and worry?
Remember God’s promise, “Do not be afraid, I am with you.” Intentionally feed the wolf of calm compassion and peace. Feeding the wolf of peace requires intentional time in quiet prayer. Feeding the wolf of love requires that we deliberately push away fear, refusing to allow our minds to dwell on the outer noise that creates inner fear.
No Fear in Love
The little letter of First John is a wonderful message about the God of love. In 1 John 4 we read, “God is love…Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him… There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.”
God is love. There is no fear in love. When we live in love we live in God and God lives in us. When God lives in us, God’s love drives out our fear. When those two wolves within you struggle, the wolf of God’s love will drive out the wolf of fear. Do not be afraid, for God is with you.
God is with You
You are not alone in what you are facing. God is with you, and God’s loving presence will be known through each of God’s people who will care for you and support you and love you. We are all in this biological crisis together. As we protect and comfort one another in compassion and love, we ourselves are protected and comforted.
Yes, there is much in this world to be afraid of. We are all vulnerable to this deadly virus. No matter what prompts your fears today, hear God’s word of faith for you, listen to it over and over and over until the wolf of fear is driven away. Do not be afraid, I am with you. I have called you by name. You are mine. You are precious in my sight.
Greg Smith is the Pastor at Scott Boulevard Baptist Church and moving into the role as Director of the Legacy Ministry at First Baptist Decatur. Greg has served as Pastor of Scott Boulevard since 2007. He earned two degrees from McAfee School of Theology of Mercer University. He and his wife Jan have two adult sons who live too far away, and two of the world’s greatest grandsons! Greg loves to feed deer in his backyard, which may explain why there are no outdoor flowers at their home. He has also served since 2005 as Chaplain of King’s Bridge Retirement Center in Atlanta.