Fear

Today I'm reading Genesis 3:6-10. ⁶ When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. ⁷ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. ⁸ Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?¹⁰ He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

I'm preaching about courage for the next few weeks and this morning I defined courage this way: Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather action in the presence of fear. Fear is the crippling emotion that haunts all of us at one point or another. We especially fear what other people will say or think or do. And then comes the guilt for not doing or BEING what we know we should be.

But this shouldn't come as a surprise, this struggle we have with fear. It goes all the way back to the garden. Fear was one of the first consequences of the Fall. It was a consequence of brokenness, the broken relationship with God. Adam was afraid because of his nakedness. Was it his body image? Before the fall the picture given is that he and Eve were naked and it specifically says: "Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame." (2:25). So, something changed in his self-perception, his self-image because of the fall. What was normal, natural, beautiful became - in his fallen mind - shameful, guilt, url, not right, imperfect, flawed. Ever stood naked in front of a full length mirror. You might be able to trace your feelings all the way back to Adam.

Courage in Christ will lead us to confront our fears. But first we have to be willing to recognize what we really fear and where it comes from in our interior world. Do you know what you fear and how fear gets a grip on your heart? Be aware of it this week. Recognize when you start to react out of fear - when you feel threatened, when you feel attacked, when you feel intimidated. And see if you can tell where that fear comes from. Christ will meet you there.

Jeff

Today's Prayer: Dear Lord, my fear has trapped and consumed me. But I am tired of living under the weight of my fears. Your WORD reassures me of your presence and that you are able to deliver me from my trouble. Please give me your love and power to replace these fear. Your perfect love cast out my fear. I thank you for promising to give me the peace that only you can give. I receive that peace now as I ask you to still my troubled heart. Because you are with me I don't have to be afraid. Through Christ my Lord, Amen.