Fear: You have a choice

For those of you just joining us, this is the first post that I have wrote that builds off a previous post. The last post we took a look at fear and broke it down…so you will want to jump down and read that one first. 

In this post I want to take a look at fear again, but bringing to light a few things, the first being, when it comes to fear—we have a choice. 

Now some of you may read that and think what? How on earth do you have a choice when it comes to fear? I didn’t know, or didn’t realize that either, until I listened to the talk Tough AsNails by Andy Stanley, the lead Pastor of North Point community Church. I would encourage you to listen to the 3 part series, he does a much better job at accurately articulating this, but I’m going to do my best in relaying what I learned through it. 

As people who follow Jesus, we are following a man’s example and striving to be just like him. That is the goal as followers of Jesus. It is important to know that Jesus, came to earth in human form. He had all the same feelings, emotions, trials, temptations as us, yet he did not sin. Jesus is the founder and the author of our faith and this man was extraordinarily bold! He was so brave. Jesus was betrayed by one of his closest friends, he was wrongly accused, he was flogged, and on top of all of that he WILLINGLY walked to the cross. For me, for you, for all of humanity—so that, we could have a way to be in eternity with God. A sacrifice had to be made and he, in his perfection, was that sacrifice. 

I’m sorry but that is a man who is braver that brave, and stronger than strong, and he more than proved that fear is optional. Can you put yourself in his shoes just for a minute…just because he was God in human form, does not mean that he didn’t feel the same things we would be feeling….heartbreak because one of his closest friends turned their back on Him (Matthew 26:31-35).  He was in anguish over what was to come as he had to face the cross (Matthew 26:36-39). He was beaten, flogged, a crown of thorns was placed on his head (Matthew 27: 27-31), and don’t think for one moment he didn’t feel the physical pain of it all. Yet, he still willingly laid down his life as a sacrifice. Was he afraid? I’m sure he was! 

From time to time you are going to have to say NO to yourself and your mind and YES to Jesus. There are going to be times when you have to actively deny yourself and what you are feeling in order to follow Jesus. Same goes with the feeling of fear—do not be afraid of that which can kill your body, but cannot kill your soul. This is a direct quote from Andy Stanley, “Uncertainty is unavoidable, but fear is optional.” Uncertainty is unavoidable, but fear is optional. There are times when fear is going to overwhelm us so much that it cripples us, but remember that if you are a Follower of Christ, you do not submit to fear, you submit to God. In these moments when fear is taking over and the walls are starting to close in on you, you have a choice. You can choose to submit yourself to the fear and allow it to take over and control you, OR you can choose to respond to Jesus’ authority. 

Hebrews 11:1-2 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.”

Faith is the confidence in what we hope for, and assurance of what we do not see….that is why all of the people we read about in the Bible, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Peter, Paul all gave their lives to the mission of spreading the gospel! He believed what God said, because they had confidence in what they hope for, and they had assurance of what they didn’t see. Were there times they were filled with fear? Oh! I guarantee it! But they didn’t love their lives so much that they shrunk from death (Rev. 12:11). They faced it head on, they stood up to it, they pressed on, and they made a choice to respond to God and his authority rather than submit to their fears. They were looking forward and they were faithful…often times we look back at things and that is what makes us fearful. 

You guys, us in this generation, should be the least fearful!! We should be the MOST confident and humble, we should be the ones that are standing shouting loudly, not submitting to the fear of “what if.” 

Hebrews 12:1-3 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders (fear), and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer, and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” 

Consider him…who endured such opposition…because Jesus died and rose again…because he lives….we can be bold, brave, fearless, compassionate, selfless….when you no longer dread fear you become---FEARLESS! 

Jesus is our example of that and he made a choice to crush fear. He made a choice to stand firm in what he knew. Same with Paul, Peter, Timothy….in the New Testament they fixed their eyes on Jesus and they advanced the gospel with confidence. 

Guys this is our time here, right now, this is our chance to take a stand and be brave like our examples we read about. We are the stewards of our faith and it continues on with our generation, because we recognize, fear is an option! We are to consider our examples and not grow weary and loose heart, to not allow the temptation to submit to fear control us. We have to make the choice. 

Uncertainty is unavoidable, but fear is optional!

I want to wrap up with a quote by Beth Moore, "That means if you have trusted Christ as your Savior, darkness can not force you to stay. It can only harass you into believing that you belong there. You don't!"