Fear stinks.
Oh I know, there are situations in which fear serves
a useful purpose. If a hungry lion escaped from the zoo and he’s been following
you on the walking trail for the past couple of minutes you should have some
fear or else you’re not taking the situation seriously enough.
But oftentimes fear is not good. Some people live
with an unhealthy sense of dread and fear which prevents them from living life
and doing the things they need to do and want to do. They live with a basic
sense that they are alone, helpless, vulnerable and with the sense that whatever
happens next will probably not be good.
I’m thinking about fear today because in between the
crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus it seems pretty likely His disciples
were caught up in fear. Jesus had given them words of reassurance. He told them
what would happen. He even said these specific words to His disciples, “Do not
be afraid.” Jesus made it possible for them to experience peace and assurance
but they tended toward fear instead.
It happens, doesn’t it?
In between the crucifixion and the resurrection, it
looked dark. It seemed that, perhaps, evil would prevail. There was tremendous
sadness, disappointment and confusion. I suspect some words to this effect were
spoken: “What just happened? This is not how we thought this would go.”
Fear seemed reasonable.
Remember, though, it is not God’s intention that we
live in fear.
Do not be afraid. Darkness doesn’t win.
God loves you. He loves you completely and
perfectly. He loves you more than you can imagine. This is the truth. The more
you know and genuinely recognize this truth the less fear you will experience.
And remember, even when things look grim, the story
is not over. Easter is coming!
No comments:
Post a Comment