The more I have considered the problems of faith, the more I see one major problem: Fear. Fear causes so many issues in our lives and in our faith journeys.
It's instructive that the Apostle John didn't label hate or apathy as the opposer of love, but fear, writing in 1 John 4:16 and 18:
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. . .There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
And the Apostle Paul adds fear expressed through anxiety to the equation in Philippians 4:6-7.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Fear is the root factor in anxiety (worry), guilt, and anger. Worry is fear over the future, while guilt is fear over the ramifications of the past. Anger is more tied to fear than you would think; anger is misplaced effort at fighting the things that we fear. Think about how many times someone who harbors anger is actually quite worried about something, enough to lash out in anger.
I'm convinced that fear influences our politics and voting; more people vote to address their fear rather than affirming their hope. They may express hope, but they are actually more frightened of the alternative.
Fear keeps us from doing the right thing. Fear keeps us in line with society's expectations, not God's, although sometimes we obey God out of fear of punishment rather than out of faithful love, which is partly what John was expressing.
This is the first of a Friday series of seven-day practical faith blogs exploring fear. I aim to call out situations where we rely on fear while also pointing out situations where conquering fear can have tremendous benefit. During this series, I hope you'll re-evaluate your life, your fears, your motivations, in order to understand how to improve your faith walk and become utterly reliant on God.
A tool that can help you in this journey of overcoming fear is my book, "From Comfort Zone to Trust Zone." Please learn more at https://www.CecilTaylorMinistries.com/from-comfort-zone-to-trust-zone or at online bookseller sites.
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