I was reminded yesterday of the power that fear has in our lives, when not rooted out. Every single person can relate to struggling with fear of some kind… the fear of rejection, the fear of man, the fear of failure, the fear of lack, the fear of death…
Fear has many disguises, we, ourselves, are often fooled and tricked by it. Sometimes the only way we realise we carry the fear, is when we are forced to face a situation that yanks that fear right out of the closet. Many learn how to live with it, using methods to control their environments, so they don’t have to face it.
In some ways, fear can almost make one feel safe. When we know what the fear is, and we start controlling things to prevent us from being hurt, it makes us feel on top of it, assuring ourselves, ‘I won’t let that happen to me again!’ But truthfully, that’s not freedom, and that’s not safety.
The only way to feedom, is complete trust and abandonment in Christ. Taking that fear to the altar, laying it down, and instead of control, letting it go completely.
We live in a society that is driven by fear. Everyone wants to impress… they want to be respected, accepted, promoted, included. When you lay fear down, you say, ‘I’m ok if I’m judged, criticized, mocked, scorned at, excluded, demoted, rejected, ridiculed.’ Laying fear down, comes at the cost of saying, ‘I let go of what people think’, and ‘I’m going to trust You, God, even if I don’t know the outcome.’
Jesus is our example, of what living without fear looks like. He spoke the truth at all times, He walked in places others wouldn’t dare, He talked with people others scorned. He reproached the religious, and exposed their wicked ways. He cared for the poor, the needy, the humble. Wherever he went, change followed.
We are called to that kind of life. Political correctness is really the fear of man. If we find ourselves looking for all the right words of expression so no one gets offended, we need to stop and say, ‘Lord, am I controlled by a spirit of fear?’ For God is calling us as sharp arrows that bring forth change, not blunt blades that fade away.
Lay down the fear. Stop and look inside your heart, and take out that which holds you in, and holds you back. It’s time to run free… be the change that people around you need… and speak with a voice of truth.
Proverbs 28:1
The wicked flee when no one pursues,
but the righteous are bold as a lion.2 Timothy 1:6-7
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Hebrews 13:6
So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
