Fear is an interesting topic because we all face it and we all have our means of coping with it.

Fear of the Unknown

Fear is driven by the unknown and there are a LOT of things we don’t know. For example: we don’t know what the economy is going to do. In 2008 we saw the economy tank, many people lost their jobs and their savings. As a result some of us fear that will happen again. We wait for the other shoe to drop.

Or, if you have someone with an addiction in your family, you don’t know where that’s headed. Both the addict and the family live with a lot of fear. They aren't sure about the future...if it will lead to recovery or if another relapse is lurking around the corner.

Learning About Fear From Jesus’ Followers

Recently, I reread the story of Jesus' arrest the night before he was killed. I noticed two things about fear from the response of his followers.

Fear is Like Darkness

When Jesus was arrested, his disciples ran away in fear. The Bible tells us:

…all the disciples deserted him and fled. Matthew 26:56

The first thing I notice is that fear is like darkness. I think Jesus was arrested at night because darkness is a symbol of fear. There’s something scary about the dark.

Why is that? It’s probably a few things. What happens in the dark? You lose your markers.  In the light you know where everything is. You can see where you are going and what to avoid.  But without those markers, you lose control.  Doubt rushes in. You aren't sure you remember where the obstacles are.

Suddenly you feel vulnerable. It makes you slow down or even freeze up for fear of making the wrong move.  In the book, FEARLESS, Max Lucado says this about fear:

We fear being sued, finishing last, going broke; we fear the mole on the back, the new kid on the block, the sound of the clock as it ticks us closer to the grave.

His words remind me of what a friend of mine told me recently. His dad was 30 years older than he is. He said when his dad died at 86 it was like someone set a 30-year timer. He feels the years ticking down and he said,

Remy, It scares the hell out of me.

Fear does that. Fear is like darkness. It wraps around you and suffocates you.

Fear Lies About the Future

The second thing about fear is that it lies to you about your future. When Jesus was arrested, what do you think the disciples told themselves?

We’re going to jail. We’re gonna die.

It’s over. We’re all fools. What were we thinking?

How could we have been so stupid to follow that impostor?

You see, fear extrapolates everything into the worst case scenario.  But Jesus spoke directly to their thought life:

Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? Matthew 26:53

 What was Jesus saying? He was saying…You guys are in fear because you believe a lie. You don’t think I’m the Son of God. You think I have no power...that I’m not in control. But the truth is… I am the Son of God, in fact, if I asked God to help me now he could send 12,000 angels in a heart beat. So relax. Everything's going to be okay. 

What Would Jesus Say To You?

That’s what Jesus would say to you too. Whatever has gotten you paralyzed, acting out, or on the run today: Relax. He's in control. There's no situation that he can't pull you out of one way or another.

He may not "fix" your life the way you want it. Some consequences to your past actions may need to be played out. But he'll be with you. He can make your life good: both now...in the problem...as well as in the future, when the problem has passed. And it will pass.

What is it that causes the most fear in your life? What lies does fear speak to you?

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