It matters not what your fears are, nor with what intensity fear has gripped you; such fears will leave you paralysed. Fears may be trivial, or they may be deep-rooted. Some may be quite illogical. The dangers we perceive may be real, or they may be no more than a figment of our own imagination. We fear the unknown, and some of our fears may seem ridiculous to others. Whatever their nature, such fears can make us stumble, and put our lives on hold.
If nothing is done to be rid of such fears, the result can be irreversible. In some cases, a whole life may simply pass away in obscurity. We become short-sighted in our outlook, and the beautiful world God has created for our enjoyment grows dim to us.
God calls us to serve Him with just what we have, and just as we are — but because of the fear of rejection, the homeless person on the street never receives the hope we were created to give. We do not allow ourselves to consider the mission trip we would love to take part in, because we fear the unknown in some distant place. The victim of trafficking remains in bondage, never experiencing the freedom we might have made possible. Our neighbour dies alone, never receiving our visit. We ourselves languish, broken and unfulfilled, never doing what we alone were made to do — simply because of fear.
Let us see what Jesus Christ has promised us. He said, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy" (John 10:10) — fear, too, is like a thief, and when we allow it to take hold of us, it steals our peace of mind, and destroys our life. But Jesus also gave us this assurance: "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).
More abundantly, He said — and to receive what Jesus offers, all we need do is trust in Him. He never puts fear into our lives; He alone can deal with all our fears, if only we bring them to Him in prayer. This brings to my mind the well-known hymn:
What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!