FEAR

Our daughter’s family has been devastated by the sudden death of Ann, a mother, a mother-in-law and a grandmother.  It happened on a Sunday two weeks ago.  But that Sunday is where this blog on fear began.

The family business is an antique store and they were having their annual yard sale.  (This is a very big deal.) We got a call early saying Ann had been taken to the hospital.  We got another call saying her husband, Ann's son, had been called to come to the hospital and they were on the way.  The next call was to ask if I would go to the house because they didn’t want their youngest son to be there by himself.  18 year old Tim had put on his “I am okay” face and had stayed to work in the store.  He worked until 4:00 and then came into the house.  He was worried and glad I was there.

As we waited, we began to talk.  This very compassionate young man asked me about my last surgery.  I assured him that the lymph node report had come back negative for cancer.  It was then that Tim asked the question.  Looking me in the eyes, he said, “Is this the type of breast cancer that will pass to my mother?”  FEAR!!  And this fear had been inside him since June.

I quickly told him that was one of the first questions we had asked the doctor.  There is no way to guarantee that his mother would never get cancer, but my cancer is NOT a genetic cancer and would not be passed to his mother.  He asked another question and continued to ask questions as I started with the original mammogram and ended with the lymph node report.  And it was only then that the fear for his mother went away.

His fear went away because the fear came out of the dark of his worry and was brought into the light of truth and understanding.  Isn’t that the same for us — no matter how old or young we are?  Fear grows as it is kept in the dark.  Fear gets stronger when we hid it.  Fear.  Fear.

FEAR -- but the scriptures have always told us we are not to fear. 

Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.  Joshua 1:9

I sought the LORD, and He heard me,

And delivered me from all my fears.

Psalms 34:4

For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand,

Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’

Isaiah 41:13

Facing our fears and bringing those fears into the light does not mean our trials just magically go away. Instead, facing our fears and bringing those fears into the light of God’s truth and wisdom means we can be strong and have courage because God is with us.  When we seek the LORD, He will hear us, hold our right hand, and deliver us from our fears. 

I like Philippians 4:6-7 from The Message:

Don’t fret or worry.  Instead of worrying, pray.  Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.  Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down.  It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Do not hide your fear.  As a song says:  Have a Little Talk With Jesus.  And when you have this talk, His truth and wisdom will deliver you from your fear.

PS – BUT YOU HAVE TO LET THE FEAR GO WHEN YOU LEARN THE TRUTH AND GAIN WISDOM FROM THAT TRUTH.  IT DOES ABSOLUTELY NO GOOD TO HAVE THAT TALK WITH JESUS AND THEN TAKE YOUR FEAR BACK.