One of the largest and greatest pitfalls of being the witnesses we are called to be is FEAR. Fear is a response to a perceived real or imagine threat. This is a very natural human trait and one that is developed very early. A child is taught fear at the knees of a mother that says, "do not go too far in the water because you may drown." At the words of a father disciplines too harshly and does not show gentle love because of what could happen. Fear is developed when we do not realize that no just means there is another possibility. Fear can be expressed in so many ways and yet the end result is the exact same thing, paralysis. Fear stops us, it stops growth, it stops ideas and the imagination, it stops joy.In the vernacular of the christian faith we are fearful to share the truths of the scriptures and Christ because we do not want to be perceived as different, as weird. We want to be accepted by the world and have our cake and eat it too. you see, it requires a choice to change, to turn our backs and minds on the things of this world and to seek after what Christ has for us. Jesus's very own words to his disciples and subsequently to us that we are not to hold on to these things,
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother,a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household. “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it."
We are also admonished to not be afraid. Fear sometimes comes from a place of ignorance and unbelief. As witnesses we have to trust implicitly in the promises that God our Saviour has made to us. We have to know and believe that God cannot fail and He does not lie. I distinctly remember we made the decision to give up everything we had and knew to go and study the scriptures. this was a decision that had fear built into it because we are so used to relying on the standards that have been set. We did not know where the money would come from for school, how we would pay for anything, put our children through school but we knew that God was asking us to take a leap of faith and follow Him. Months of prayer and preparation came and went and we knew we had only one choice to follow after God's plan.
Fear took second place because we trusted in the God who had shone himself to us over and over. This did not mean that the tendrils of trepidation did not rear its ugly head over and over but we had to continually put it under subjection and expose it to the light of God's word and then follow through. Fear was when my husband was laid up in the hospital and we did not believe he would walk again."Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand" The key is victorious!!!!, how can you fear when you know the victory has been won and the victor is your Father, creator God, the great I Am!
