Hey everyone! So this week I am going to be talking about something that we all can relate to: fear. Fear, as defined in Dictionary.com, is “a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc.,whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.” Now, you may be wondering “What does the Lord have to say about fear?” Get ready, this is going to be good: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10 ESV)
Now, it may come as a surprise, but there is a good type of fear: the fear of God. Now, when I say “fear of God”, I do not mean hiding under your blanket at night because he is going to kill you like a character from a horror movie. Fearing God means that you have a deep respect for Him, and that you yearn to do what He wants you to do. So… why is this fear good? Well, you see, our buddy King Solomon tells us. In Proverbs 1:7 (KJV), King Solomon says “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” We should really listen to what King Solomon had to say. Why? Let’s take a look at 1 Kings 9:9-12 (NIV): “So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.’” I don’t know about you, but I think that it is a good idea to listen to what the wisest man had to say when it comes to fearing the Lord.
Matthew 5:16 says “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.”
Part of letting your light shine is learning to not let fear overcome you. We can't be afraid of what other people may think about us.
You see, we are called to make disciples. I remember that when I started middle school, I was afraid to talk about being a Christian because I didn't want people to make fun of me or not become friends with me. I was new to the school district, and all that I wanted to do was make friends. But little by little I gained the courage to invite my friends to my Church's youth group. Some people said no, but some of my friends did say yes. I eventually came to the realization that not everyone is going to say yes, but it was not me that they were saying no to. They were saying no to going to youth group, and they were saying no to God. When a leader told me this truth, it made it a lot easier for me to invite my friends and be open about who I believed in.
Honestly ask yourself if this verse applies to you: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes; first to the Jew, and then to the Gentile.” (Romans 1:16)
Food for thought: Are you the same person no matter where you are, and who you are with? Or are you living some kind of “double life” when you are not in Church/with people from your church? Something that we all need to remember is that people are ALWAYS watching us, even if it doesn't seem like it. In everything that we do, we are setting an example. Now here's the thing: it is 100% up to us whether that example that we set will be the right one.
As I was writing this, three songs in particular came to mind:
