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  • 1 May

    Calling Fear Out

    By Mara Hodler

    I read an acronym for fear that I thought described well the kind of fears we all face at times about things that haven’t actually happened.

    F-False
    E-Evidence
    A-Appearing
    R-Real

    Of course, there are some fears that are valid. In those cases, fear is the voice of wisdom preventing you from doing something dangerous. What I’m talking about are the fears that stop you from doing something that is going to make your life better; the fears that make you think you are incapable or inadequate.

    I can think back to so many times in my life when my fears convinced me that I could not do something. This happened more times than I can count. When I was learning to drive, I was absolutely paralyzed with fear. I imagined horrible scenarios like me losing control of the car and crashing into another car and killing or maiming someone. I thought about how dumb I can be, and how I would probably just forget to stop at a red light. I imagined banging into other cars as I attempted to park.

    If I knew I was going to be driving the next day, I literally could not sleep that night. I would lie in my bed thinking of every terrible thing I might end up doing behind the wheel. By morning, I was not in any state to drive. It might sound ridiculous, but at the time, it was very real.

    Sadly, for a long time my fears won. I failed two driving tests just because I was so convinced that I could simply NOT get the hang of driving. Eventually, it came to a point where I had no choice but to face my fears.

    And, in the process of “facing my fears,” I had an accident. I hit another car while changing lanes. I felt like never ever trying to drive again. I felt I now had good reason to give up driving for the rest of my life. The accident had validated my fears. But I soon realized that my not being able to drive was just as crippling to my life as my fear of driving. There were so many things I could not participate in because I could not drive. It was also an inconvenience to others who had to drive me from one place to another.

    In short, I had to overcome this fear. So, I did. I picked a Walmart grocery store that I felt was easy enough to drive to, and practiced driving from the house to the Walmart and back again. I would park in the farthest and most isolated area of the parking lot. After a few weeks of Walmart trips, I realized that other places I needed to go were just one turn away, one more stop light, a left turn instead of a right turn. Soon I had conquered driving around the town where I lived.

    Then came a winter of ice and snow, and I drove in that. We moved to a larger city, and I learned to maneuver through traffic. I moved to the countryside, and I learned to drive long distances. I learned how to drive on busy highways and how to park in crowded parking lots.

    I can now with great joy tell you that my fear of not being able to drive was False Evidence Appearing Real. But that fear could have easily kept me homebound had I not defeated it little by little. Especially after my accident, I could have easily convinced myself that I was definitely not a driver! I am so grateful that I pushed past the fear, because doing so changed an important aspect of my life. Being able to drive has allowed me to help support my family, help others who needed me, and has eliminated a huge sense of limitation, frustration, and—you guessed it—fear.

    There are many verses in the Bible about fear. One of my favorites is Isaiah 26:3: ”You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts You.”

    As I worked to conquer my fear of driving, I did my best to follow the instructions in this verse. I tried to focus on God and His power and ability to overcome my inabilities. This verse is kind of an “action” verse. It has an if-then clause in it. God will give you perfect peace if you choose to trust in Him.

    It comes more naturally to me to play “movies” in my head about how awful something is going to be rather than focusing on God’s power and receiving His peace. But it’s important to remember that fear is NOT of God.

    “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

    Fear can make us feel weak and helpless, but God doesn’t want us to feel that way. He wants us to feel empowered, loved, and not tormented, disturbed, and incapable.

    And, finally, my favorite verse for days when I just can’t figure out how to deal with my fears: “I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Psalm 34:4).

    I love that verse! It’s a grateful proclamation of what God did for someone who was troubled and bound by fear.

    Facing your fears is an ongoing part of life. Some fears are reasonable, and others are obviously irrational, but any kind of fear can hold you hostage.

    The good news is, every fear has an antidote, and it begins with focusing on God’s love and care for you. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18).

    If you are dealing with some form of fear in your life, realize that you do not have to be bound by that fear. Remember that God loves you and He wants you to be happy, to thrive and to prosper. And then, face your fears.

    If fear is holding you back, remember that the only power fear has is the power that you allow it to have. Each time you confront a fear and take a small step to overcome it with the power of God’s Word, you are one step closer to that fear having no power over you.

    “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified … for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

    Adapted from a Just1Thing podcast, a Christian character-building resource for young people.

  • Apr 29 Persecution Yesterday and Today
  • Apr 24 In Sorrows Rejoicing
  • Apr 22 The Law and the Prophets—Part 2
  • Apr 19 Do Not Be Afraid
  • Apr 16 Not My Will Be Done
  • Apr 15 The Law and the Prophets—Part 1
  • Apr 11 God’s Unconventional Ways
  • Apr 9 Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life
  • Apr 4 Grace for Times of Affliction
   

Directors’ Corner

Faith-building Bible studies and articles

  • 12 Mar

    1 Corinthians: Chapter 1 (verses 17-25)

    In verse 16, Paul wrote that he had baptized very few of the Corinthians while he was with them. He continued this topic in verse 17.

    For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.1

    This verse brings an end to the subjects Paul wrote about in the first 16 verses of this chapter and serves as a bridge into the next passage. Paul uses himself and his calling as an example, to further his argument. His calling was to preach the gospel. This didn’t mean that he never baptized new believers, but his focus was on preaching the message of Christ. This is the first use of the word gospel in this epistle. Its meaning here is to preach or to bring the good news. That was Paul’s commission, given to him by Christ.

    Along with Paul’s call to preach, there was also a call as to how the message should be presented. He insists that the power of the gospel doesn’t lie in how elegantly it is presented. In fact, he states that Christ didn’t send him to preach with words of eloquent wisdom. He indicates that the way of expressing the message affects the reception of the message.

    Having completed his introduction, Paul introduced the substance of his letter.

    For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.2

    After explaining how he had been called to preach in a way that would not take anything from the power of the “cross of Christ,” Paul begins to address the nature of that power, which is found in proclaiming the gospel. He also speaks about the “word of the cross,” which he states is experienced in God’s power within those who are saved. The “word of the cross” is a metaphor for the proclamation of the gospel which is found in Christ.

    To be put to death on a cross was a painful and shameful way to die. In addition, because Jewish law taught that death “on a tree” meant a person was cursed, damned by God,3 Jesus having died on a cross was a cause of “stumbling” to the Jews, as Paul mentions later in this chapter. For the Jews as well as the Gentiles, the horror of crucifixion made the whole idea of preaching about someone who had been crucified, and a king at that, seem to be madness.

    Paul compares the two groups of people: for one group, the word of the cross is “foolishness”; but for the other group, the word of the cross is the power of God. Through people’s reaction to Christ, who had died on a cross, God would reveal who was perishing or being saved.

    For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”4

    Quoting from the book of Isaiah,5 Paul gives support for what he has been saying. Through the cross of Christ, God’s intention is to destroy the wisdom of the wise. Paul is quoting scripture to point out that this was always God’s intention—to destroy all wisdom that was not from God, and to bring about salvation in His way. Paul’s use of the future tense, “I will destroy,” expresses the idea that worldly wisdom, which is in opposition to God and His ways, is not just another way to look at the world, but rather is resistant to God and is to be set aside. Those possessing worldly wisdom will be destroyed, according to Isaiah’s prophecy.

    Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?6

    Paul continues to point out God’s opposition to worldly wisdom by asking four questions. The first one alludes to the book of Isaiah. (1) Paul asks: Where is the one who is wise? Isaiah spoke similar words in Isaiah 19:12 to mock the Egyptian wise men who could not comprehend the ways of God. (2) Where is the scribe? The scribe might refer to a person well versed in the Mosaic law. (3) The debater of this age might refer to someone who engages in philosophical debate and discussion for its own sake.

    In the fourth question, Paul asked whether God had made foolish the wisdom of the world. God had done so in the days of Isaiah by defeating the Egyptians and Assyrians. But Paul was expressing an idea broader than this. God had shown the folly of human wisdom in that human wisdom would never consider that God would allow His Son to be crucified in order to save humankind. By acting in a way that human wisdom would label “foolish,” God had frustrated human wisdom.

    Paul assumes that the Christians he is writing to are following his point, and the fourth question expects the answer “yes.” God “made foolish” the wisdom of the world when Christ was crucified.

    For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.7

    While Paul has spoken of the “power of God” in contrast to the world’s “wisdom” (verses 18–19), now he speaks of the wisdom of God. This wisdom is spelled out in the main clause (it pleased God). It is God’s decree to save believers through the death of Christ. This is God’s wisdom, and as Paul goes on to demonstrate, it is a wisdom that is alien to the wisdom “of this age.”

    Paul reminds the Corinthians that men and women have not known God through their own ways. Knowing God is not just knowing about God. It is about identifying with the Lord as the only one who can save. It’s about calling “upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.”8 It’s about being in a relationship with God, which brings about a whole new way of seeing, a new mindset.

    The term it pleased God shows that God laid out His way for people to come to salvation. He planned that people would be saved, and how this would be achieved. The idea of God being pleased, referring to His deliberate plan, is seen elsewhere in the New Testament. He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”9 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”10

    Those who are being saved (v. 18) are those who “are believing” (v. 21). Faith and commitment to Christ are the main issues. This requires turning away from human wisdom and having a commitment to God’s plan for salvation through the death and resurrection of Christ. In God’s plan, people will be saved. The means of this salvation is through the folly of what we preach.

    For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom.11

    By referring to these two main religious divisions of the world at the time, Paul shows that no one is excluded from what he’s been saying. It’s not that some religions are closer to God than others; rather, all people everywhere have thought that they can reach God by their preferred means.

    Paul states that Jews ask for “signs.” At different points in Israel's history, God acted in their midst with powerful signs. For example, during the Exodus.12 Also, the encounter of the people with God at Mount Sinai, as well as signs in the days of Elijah.13 However, instead of trusting in God and waiting for Him to operate in whatever ways He wished, the Jewish people came to see signs as proof of God’s presence. Their demanding such proofs was condemned in the Old Testament. “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test.”14

    “Greeks” are synonymous with “Gentiles.” Paul says that the Greeks seek wisdom, which meant that this was characteristic of their society. Wisdom was highly esteemed in the world of the Corinthians. Paul saw that while their wisdom had led to great religiosity, it resulted in ignorance of God.

    …but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles.15

    In a world where no one, Jew or Gentile, had come to true knowledge of God, Paul says we preach Christ crucified. He now sets up a series of contrasts. The Jews and the Gentiles both end up in the place of rejecting a crucified Christ, although they get there in different ways.

    For Jews, the crucified Christ is a “stumbling block.” The concept of stumbling will be an important theme later in the letter. In Paul’s day, Israel is seen to have stumbled on the stone (Christ) rather than finding salvation in Him.

    In the Gentile Greek culture, where the ideal was to seek wisdom in rhetoric or religious and philosophical debate, the crucified and humiliated Christ was considered “folly” and would be rejected.

    …but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.16

    Those who are called have come to believe that in the crucified and risen Christ lies God’s power to transform a people who will be His forever. This wasn’t only true in Paul’s day but continues to be true today. Those who are “called” are those who “believe” (v. 21) and who are “being saved” (v. 18). This group is not distinguished by race, education, wealth, or background, for God has called all types of people, both Jews and Greeks. Those who have been called see things differently. They recognize that the crucified Christ is in fact both “the power of God” and “the wisdom of God.”

    For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.17

    Paul rightly states that what God is and does cannot be compared to what humans might do. God turns the ways of men and women upside down, for He is wiser than can be imagined, and is able to bring His plans into effect in ways that transcend human understanding. His ways are much higher than our ways, as the heavens are higher than the earth (Isaiah 55:8–9). Nothing will obstruct Him and His good purposes for His creation.

    (To be continued.)

    Note

    Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

    1 1 Corinthians 1:17.

    2 1 Corinthians 1:18.

    3 Deuteronomy 21:23, Galatians 3:13, 5:11.

    4 1 Corinthians 1:19.

    5 Isaiah 29:14.

    6 1 Corinthians 1:20.

    7 1 Corinthians 1:21.

    8 1 Corinthians 1:2.

    9 Matthew 17:5.

    10 Luke 12:32.

    11 1 Corinthians 1:22.

    12 Exodus 10:1, Deuteronomy 11:2–3.

    13 1 Kings 17–18.

    14 Deuteronomy 6:16.

    15 1 Corinthians 1:23.

    16 1 Corinthians 1:24.

    17 1 Corinthians 1:25.

     

  • Feb 27 1 Corinthians: Chapter 1 (verses 4-16)
  • Feb 14 The Book of 1 Corinthians: Introduction
  • Feb 6 Communication—A Key Part of Relationships
  • Apr 30 1 Corinthians: Chapter 2 (verses 1-8)
  • Apr 16 Virtues for Christ-Followers: Love
  • Apr 2 1 Corinthians: Chapter 1 (verses 26-31)
  • Jan 30 The Book of Galatians, Chapter 6 (verses 6-18)
  • Jan 16 The Book of Galatians: Chapter 6 (verses 5:25–6:5)
  • Jan 2 The Book of Galatians: Chapter 5 (verses 13-24)
   

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