Fear Not

I am blessed with a very able husband. The man is handy at just about everything and has a ridiculously broad range of knowledge. Can't quite remember the details of how an internal combustion engines works, just ask he can tell you down to the molecular level. Forgot how the Federal Reserve board determines the prime rate? He'll explain the current trend in fiscal policy and the geopolitical history that led to this system. Don't get him started on compound interest or how satellites stay in orbit. He can explain how the monks found yeast on the walls of some cave and it all lead to the brewing of some fine beer.

He's not just a brainiac. He has a lot of very practical skills as well. He's very handy with tools and engines and computers and negotiating anything. He can always see which way we should tilt a piece of furniture to make it fit through a doorway that it just shouldn't fit through. He knows when the sounds in the car are bad sounds as opposed to normal sounds. But best of all, he isn't afraid of anything. I mean it. He isn’t afraid of being embarrassed or of the authorities or of things that go bump in the night. He will take on any challenge. Equally he will walk away from anything that loses his interest or becomes boring.

There are upsides and downsides to a husband like this. The downside is all the magazine articles that tell you how to manipulate your man don't work. The upside is that I’m not scared of much of anything either. It's like it is contagious or something. Our family motto is "We can do that." Whatever it is we can do it. We may not win or we might change our minds later but if there is something someone in the family wants to do, we will do it or at least we will try. Fear will not hold us down. It seems to have become our credo "If you are afraid to do something then that is the very reason you should do it." Fear just gets in the way of life.

I think of this these last few weeks of the Easter season. Jesus keeps saying "Fear not". Jesus states clearly not to be afraid. Go help the poor and the hungry and the widows and the orphans. Visit those in prison. You can't do that if you allow fear to control your life. Being afraid of the bad guys in prison or the people who are very different because they are poor, or afraid of the germs of the sick may well be how we feel but if we let that fear be the deciding factor we will fail our calling. If we raise our children to stay inside and stay away from everyone how will they be Christians? How will they show the good fruit? We must encourage our children to be brave, to do the things they can do even though we could do those things for them. If we are halted in our Christian walk by the fear of everything, how much more will our children, who follow our every movement, be afraid?

Jesus extols us not to be afraid. Our God is big enough. We will know when we should take precautions; the warning system for real danger is hardwired into us. God gave us the ability to discern real danger but we have to be willing to trust God and let go of the fear, fear that causes the static in our minds and hearts that can obliterate the sound of danger signals when they are real. Static that obliterates the voice of God. To live in fear of everyday life is to be crippled as a Christian.

The first step is to face something fearful. You may feel fear but push beyond that and act on the mandates of Christianity. Talk to the lonely. Feed the hungry. Be among people who are not like you, knowing that God would not tell us to do these things if we could not do them.

Being around someone who is fearless also helps. Jesus was fearless. He never cowered at danger to his physical well being or his social standing or his pride. He wasn't afraid of embarrassment or of the authorities, be they government or church. He pushed forward doing what he knew was right. We can do that too. We can show our children how to do that. We know what to do. Just do it. Jesus was very clear, "Fear not".

Blessings,
Michelle