Where do we turn?
Do you remember the once popular W.W.J.D.? The letters stand for What Would Jesus Do, and represents the desire to live life as Christ did to emulate Him. Could Jesus have possibly ever been afraid? Let's take a look at the disturbance immediately following Christ's final prayer time in the garden of Gethsemane. Judas was there with a band of men and officers holding lanterns and weapons (John 18:3). Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?” (John 18:4). Did you get that? He knew who they were and fully understood the danger of the moment, yet He courageously moved toward it! No more talk, no more preparation for what was to come. An eternity of preparation had been realized and it was time to act.
In our culture, we are conditioned to avoid conflict and danger. We have Emergency Responders who confront fire, accident, and injury. We stay behind the yellow ribbons and peer to see what happened. We minimize risk and buy insurance against loss. Yet life comes down to some events we cannot avoid. Call it a “defining moment.” Stepping forward to embrace our moment will come to all of us. Will we have enough courage? Following Christ’s example may in of itself give you the courage and resolve to confront your fear. As disciples of Christ we should step toward whatever challenges our life. Resolve to face fear. It is the only way to find the courage to deal with inevitable daily challenges. The more you face fear, the more predictable it becomes. With predictability comes familiarity, and with familiarity comes less fear and more courage to face it.
David gives us many examples of confronting fear. In the Old Testament book of First Samuel, he slays Goliath and gives the credit to God, not his own ability. Later in his life, David's inspiring prayer sets our course to courage. "From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I (Psalms 61:2). This image is of a man seeking refuge from his enemy by hiding in the towering rocks of a mountain. He has found a place of concealment but realizes the vulnerability of his position. And so he asks God to lead him to a rocky prominence that is yet higher up and more difficult to attack than his current position. David asks God to lead him even closer to God, his protector. And so God leads him up the hidden trail to the higher rock. God Himself is often referred to as "the Rock" in the Bible. The word here is ṣûr, "massive rock," used for boulders or formations of stone, and for the material which composes mountains. The caves of the rocks are places where David and his men sought safety when they were being hunted by King Saul and his armies. You will find many more examples in the Bible.
Yes, you can confront fear. You may not be able to do it alone, I know I sure can't! But the good news is that we don't have to. We were not made to, but to confront it with the Lord God Himself. Deuteronomy 31:8 And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.
Comments