So often, it is fear which holds us back from stepping out in new ways for God. We are afraid we’ll look foolish. We’re afraid of what people will say. We’re afraid of opposition. We’re afraid of ridicule and scorn, afraid of appearing radical or different (the British character hates looking different, it seems; bland anonymity seems to be our highest aspiration at times.) We’re afraid of getting it wrong, to the extent that we’re paralysed into doing nothing.
Unhealthy fears (‘phobia’ comes from the Greek word for ‘fear’) are disproportionate to the dangers posed (‘false evidence appearing real’, as the saying goes) and leave God out of the equation. They focus on hypothetical situations (the ‘what ifs?’ of the imagination which rob us of peace and are devoid of grace, since grace is real, not imaginary) and leave no room for faith to flourish.
In Matt 10:1-31, Jesus commissions the disciples, sending them out to preach the gospel and giving them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness, as He Himself had done. He is realistic about the opposition they will face and the hardships ahead (including alienation from family members, flogging and persecution!), yet He urges them not to fear (Matt 10:26, 28, 31). The antidote to fear is not an insulated, trouble-free existence, as we often mistakenly believe. The antidote to fear, paradoxically, is a healthy fear-of-God: ‘Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.’ (Matt 10:28) Nicky Gumbel comments that ‘it is no coincidence that as the fear of God has decreased in our society, all the other fears have increased. We need to return to a right relationship with God.’
When we fear God with the reverence, awe and wonder described in Proverbs as the beginning of wisdom, we are set free from other fears which would tie us in knots, and we can then step out in boldness and faith. We may fail, but failure is not the worst thing that can happen to us. The worst thing is disregarding God and hardening our hearts when He speaks to us. Let’s learn to take steps of faith (getting out of the boat), secure in the worth God places on us (Matt 10:31) and in the guidance of His Spirit. (Matt 10:19-20)
