Parkwood Presbyterian Church: From the Pastor, May 1996

From the Pastor...

FREEDOM FROM FEAR

Most of us have experienced at some time or another the paralyzing effect of fear. Indeed, some people are constantly dominated by it. David knew something of it, though from Psalm 34 we discover that it is possible for a man who is full of fear to be delivered from it completely.

Christians are members of the human race, but although we have been made members of God's family we are still subject to all the frailties common to all people. We have to overcome failures, we know what sorrow is, we are beset by worry, we are threatened by anxiety, we know what depression is, and one of our biggest enemies is fear. Is it possible to live lives that free from the enemy of fear? The answer is found in Psalm 27: v 1: "The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I shall be afraid?"

There are two kinds of fear in human experience, the normal and the abnormal, the good and the bad. A surgeon fears to harm his patient, a pilot takes care in his handling of his aircraft as he fears to harm his passengers through an accident, etc. Those are healthy fears. But there are other fears we need to be free from.

THE KIND OF FEARS WHICH BESET US

There are general fears as Luke 21:26 tells us, and this is very true of today. But there are particular fears, which may have to do with the past, the present or the future. Consider the following:

The fear of failure. Anyone who is conscientious or ambitious in the right sense, or who has achieve any success at all, must experience the temptations to fear lest he should fail, and this can be a very devastating fear.
The fear of responsibility. We may be ambitious and yet fear the very responsibility which the achievement of our ambition may thrust upon us.
The fear of danger and harm. Some people are afraid of thunderstorms or of travelling by sea or air. Sometimes their fear arises from the fact that they have known someone to be hurt by lightning or to have lost their lives in the air or on the sea.
The fear of some "skeleton in the cupboard". Many people fear the some past remark, mistake or indiscretion will "find them out".
The fear of loss. How many of us fear the loss of job, of financial means of support.
The fear of the future. Many who are getting older become fearful as to how they will be able to live on their small pensions or savings, or are fearful of being dependent upon other, or are fearful of what will happen when their children leave them.
The fear of mental disorders or physical disease. This is a very real fear to many people, even among God's children. Perhaps someone they know has been afflicted in this way, and this has instilled a fear into them.
The fear of death. This fear is also common to many, and robs of the peace and joy that is ours in Christ.

WHAT FEAR DOES TO US

Fear makes us unhappy and brings us into bondage, and its effects are always dissipating and destructive. Fear undermines our health. If we allow fear to grip us we become tense and unable to function normally. It affects our bodily functions, including our appetite. Fear paralyses our wills; it robs us of sleep, it clouds the mind, and it makes us spiritual cripples. When fear comes in, joy, peace, power, poise and testimony go out, for a fearful Christian is a defeated and a failing Christian.

HOW CAN WE BE FREE FROM FEAR

If we are fearful what must we do? Here are some suggestions.

Settle it once and for all that it is the will of God for you to be free from your fears. Does the Lord want you , His child, to be fearful, afraid and paralysed all your life? Of course not, When the disciples of Jesus were fearful for their lives as a strong wind caused their boat to be in peril, Jesus said, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
Be sure you really want to be free from your fears. This may seen strange, but some people do not want to lose their fears. They are the people who "enjoy bad health", and their fears offer to them a form of escape from facing up to the responsibilities of life. The Lord is able to deliver you from all your fears. Are you really willing that He should do it?
Make an honest admission of your fears. Do not attempt to hide them; drag them out and recognize them for what they are - ugly fears which must be dealt with. Write them down and look at them, and if it will help then tell someone about them. In any case, do not hide from your fears, or you will be fearing your fears.
Ask God definitely to banish your fears, and trust Him to do it. Follow the example of the Psalmist in Psalm 34:4. Take your fears to the "Mercy Seat" and leave them there. Have you ever really done that?
Cultivate the consciousness of the Lord's presence. Fear cannot survive when we are enjoying the Lord's presence. In Psalm 23 v. 4 we read "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."
Dwell deeply in the Word of God. God has said very much in His Word that should lead us to say, "I will not fear!" Look up His promises and meditate upon them.
Forget your fears and praise the Lord. The moment you begin to praise the Lord fear will begin to shrink and to shrivel, and as you go on praising Him, the One Who is waiting and willing and wanting to free you from your fears, will give you victory. May David's testimony also be yours, "When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" Psalm 56:3,4.