I used to think that fear was a good thing. It keeps you from doing things that you shouldn't do, or protecting you from bad stuff. I told someone one of my fears this week, and they made a passing comment that it probably wasn't a healthy fear to live with. It made me think a lot. Is it healthy to live with fears? I looked back to Isaiah 43: 1b-3a, one of my favorites.
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."
So what is the healthy amount of fear? I still think some underlying fear is good because it keeps you safe, like being afraid of scary looking guys walking in alleys at night. But what about the silly ones? I'm realizing more and more how much I live in fear. I am afraid of so many things. Like windows, darkness, parking lots at night, getting lost, buses, being the center of attention, messing up in front of people, saying something that sounds stupid. I am sick of always being afraid. It's time to learn to live without being afraid.
1 comment:
There are a good fears and bad fears--it would be interesting to do a search for "the fear of the Lord" in the Bible. That would be a good fear. But the ones that get in the way of your relationship with God would be bad fears...though it's not always clear if a particular fear is a good one or a bad one!
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