Fear is a powerful deterrent and motivator. All of us have felt this primal emotion, and most of us have, at least a few times, given in to it. When asked what we are afraid of, the order usually goes something like this: death, public speaking, rejection, closed spaces, bugs and snakes, etc. We often want our lives to continue as they did when we believe we were safest and happiest. With each age, fears can change. Babies fear strangers and unfamiliar environments, and as they get older, more fears can manifest themselves in our minds. Fear is so powerful that it can make us feel ill; the stress of fear can cause us to retreat. Everyone is afraid at some point or another; even soldiers and first responders, the epitome of bravery, acknowledge their fear. Somehow, most of us are able to overcome it, but it takes work.
It’s easy to retreat when we are afraid – to not take risks or try new things. We often go back to what we believe was a simpler, safer time, thinking that our fears weren’t as palpable then. We fear rejection – we fear loss of control and power and independence – we fear the loss of jobs and loved ones. Fear can turn us backwards to the good old days, we shout, when we were better and safer and had less to worry about. I asked a 97-year-old member of the church I served 40 years ago what it was like to grow up when she did – she was born in 1890 – and she said, “It was terrible! Life is so much better now!” Consider that there were no cars, but there was child labor. Telephones had just been created, and the Emancipation Proclamation had only been written 25 years earlier.
Moving forward can be hard work, if we fear it. I think of all the ways my life has changed in the last 40 years; some of it was bad, but most of it has been an improvement over what I had before. “We have nothing to fear but fear itself” – “True love casts out fear” – “Be not afraid, I am always with you.” We will all have real fears, and we will all have made up fears designed to divide and conquer us. Real fear should never be ignored; it is part of the beauty of how God made us. Manufactured fear, however, only exists to get us in line and take our souls from us. I hope we take time to consider just how amazing we are when we move forward together. When we conquer our fears – together. When we face the challenges of the unknown – together. Together, things aren’t as scary as they seem.
Prayer – Holy God, may Your light guide us through the difficulties of life – together. Amen.
Today’s art is called “Moving Forward Together” – the artist was not listed.