Fear Nothing.

Matthew 8:26 He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then he got up, rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm.

 What are you afraid of?  What are your greatest fears?

FDR once said "The only thing to fear is fear itself." 

I have heard my dad use that quote over and over and over again throughout my childhood.  Do you remember being younger?  From the age of about 6-9 ish I went through a long period of worry and fear.  I would lay in bed at night and my imagination would get me.  I was terrified at night-- of serial killers, stories of Ed Gene, tornadoes, robbers... many things.  I would often go to my mom in the middle of the night for comfort.. and she did comfort me for a while, but it finally got to the point where I had to deal with it.  She finally said to me one night that Jesus loves me so much that there is nothing that He will let happen to me that would be so terrible that I would not be "O.K."  Then it clicked.  I began to sleep at night.  The Veggie Tales video entitled "God is Bigger than the Boogieman"  also helped.  God is bigger than anything on this earth and beyond.  He has conquered evil.  FDR and my dad were right.  There really is nothing to fear, but fear itself.  Fear is essentially in its purest form a lack of trust in Christ. 

Now that I am older, I still am afraid.  What I am afraid of has changed, but the foolishness of my fears has not.  I worry about things big and small.  I fear many things from getting a poor grade on an exam to losing someone I love. 

I think my biggest fear in life is being alone.... Alone &  unhappy-- with no family or anyone.  No children or a husband. and "losing" people I really love whether it be through death or growing apart.  Those may seem like more rational fears than those of a child-- more realistic, but they are no more justified.  We will always fear something-- its inevitable, but we definitely don't need to-- especially to the point of worry and anxiety, which is in fact sin.--  It stems from a lack of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ to provide and protect us.  
The truth is: bad things will happen to us, but with an eternal perspective we have safety in the arms of our Savior.  Nothing can separate us from Him-- nothing can snatch us from His hand (Romans 8 & John 10).

Romans 8

"31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be [8] against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. [9] 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

In Matthew 14:22-33, Peter asks to join Jesus standing in middle of the sea, but as Peter steps off the boat and onto the water he begins to sink.  "he was afraid and beginning to sink he cried out, 'Lord Save me'."  Much like Peter our faith disappears quickly and we fear.  but "Jesus IMMEDIATELY reached out His hand and took hold of him, saying "O you and little faith, why did you doubt."  I think Jesus almost pitied Peter and his fear, but He has compassion upon Him and immediately reached His hand to save him. 
There are a few things that we can get from this story, I believe:

1. As humans we are prone to fear.
2. Christ understands our fear and recognizes our vulnerability to it.
3. Fear is in fact a lack of faith
4. Although I believe Christ understands our fear, we must fight it.  Christ commands us to trust in Him and to not fear.  Fear is a hindrance-- it's unnecessary and really a stronghold of the enemy.  

Satan definitely uses fear to paralyze us-- to keep us from being brave and to keep us worrying.  Worrying leads to wasted time and idleness and a lack a fruit in our lives. 

FEAR ULTIMATELY KEEPS OF FROM TRULY LIVING.--- It is in fact a form of Bondage and a dangerous stronghold.  We really should only fear-- fear itself-- because fear can keep us from really LIVING.  Living for Christ as we are called to.  

One common stereotype or preconceived notions of Christians in our culture is that Christians  are passive and mild-- not very brave-- very conservative and maybe even timid-- many refer to this as "Luke-warm".... and maybe that stereotype is a little too accurate....?  

Are you pushing your limits for Christ?  What risks are you taking for God? Have you done anything "frightening" for the Gospel today? I don't think I have... I challenge us all to do so.  I DARE you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;)
(okay enough cheese... )

Christ does not call us into easy lives-- we are not to have spirits of timidity--
2 Timothy 1:7

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

 But we are called to live out our faith radically-- do you fear going overseas to share the Gospel?  Do you fear standing up for your faith at your work place?  Do you fear being criticized or "mocked" for being a radical Christian? .. get over it.  We are called to really LIVE for the Kingdom-- to take risks for the Gospel-- to step off that boat and walk with Christ on rough waters through storms.  So do it!!-- but you definitely do not have to do it alone.  Much like with Peter, Christ was there "immediately"-- right next to him.  Christ is right beside us and with us and at all times and as simple or cliche as that sounds I think we all need to be reminded of that.  No matter how big your fears or the kind-- death, disease, sharing the Gospel with your brother, spiders,..losing your boyfriend, even fighting in a war... Christ has conquered and He will follow through.  He will not leave you or forsake you and with Him all things are possible.  He loves you so very much. 

Break through the chains of fear. The time to LIVE is now--- radically, fully, whole-heatedly with a fervent passion!  You can do what you think you cannot (Philippians 4:13).  Stop saying "I can't" or "What if..." and start saying "with Christ I can."  There really is nothing to fear, but fear itself.

For Christ said:

Have No Fear

"26 “ 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. [6] 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? [7] And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32 So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven." Matthew 10

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, give I to you. Don't let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.