Fears

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment.  But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.  We love Him because He first loved us.
1 John 4: 18-19 NKJV

Fears.  We all have them.  Although we often don't like to admit our fears, one thing that is for certain is that everyone has them.  At one point or another, the grip of fear hits everyone.  It can be heights, personal interaction or public speaking.  In fact, much has been made of the eccentric fears of Howard Hughes.  It is hard to imagine that one of the richest and most daring men in history had a deep seated fear...of germs.  Would he have been the success he was had others known of his fear?  For we almost always identify fear with weakness.  Those who are weak are scared, frightened people.  It is through bravery and courage where one finally defeats his worst inner enemy, or is it?  There are also those who claim that our fears are a normal reaction to a wicked situation.  We must agree that most of us respond differently to different situations.  The worlds bravest man may have a petty, irrational fear.  Remember our friend Mr. Hughes?  So, the fact is that we must not identify fear with weakness!

If we take the generally accepted definition of bravery as a quality which knows no fear, I have never seen a brave man.  All men are frightened.  The more inteligent they are, the more they are frightened
General George S Patton Jr.

For myself, I can take solace in the words of the old general George Patton.  My fears are more than a few, as with most people.  One of these is the fear of heights.  This occasionaly comes into play as my friend Dennis and I set off on yet another Hike in our Pacific Northwest.  Now, I love hiking!  The scenery, the exercise and a chance to connect with my friend.  However, what I don't love is the fact that many of the trails we set out on have the propensity to become a 1,400 foot death march!  Are my fears justified?  Well, I regularly see accounts in the local news of someone who either falls from a local hiking trail or somehow gests lost along the way.  So, could I somehow end up falling from a cliff or getting lost?  Sure, anything can happpen.  If that happens, will Jesus somehow laugh and scold me for being foolish?  NO!   Indeed He will welcome His child home.  So, what is the basis of my fear?  Death?  Christ has defeated death once and for all.  Dennis often refers to my fear as the "minions" of  the former owner of my earthly vesel returning to try and reclaim what they lost through Christ.  In this I agree, for satan, the deceiver, will stop at nothing to sway our thinking that Jesus is no longer in our corner.  Of course, in our hearts we know this not to be true.  However, this does not stop the minions from whispering in our ear that we are alone, helpless and without hope.  Christian, it is through our Lord Jesus Christ that we posess all of the hope, help and fellowship that we shall ever need.  Whatever voices that attempt to vie for our attention, there is but one that we can trust in.  It is His voice, that of our savior, that tells us that He will never leave us or forsake us!

~Scott~