No Fear, No Worry
September 6th, 2009 We turn on the news today and in ten minutes are bombarded with upcoming worldwide economic catastrophe, the horror of impending nuclear problems from North Korea, Pakistan, or Iran, plus talk of food and water shortages unparalleled in human history. If that isn’t enough we are frightened by pending doom from supposed disastrous climate change, or the uncertain peril of radical Islamic terrorist attacks. And all this is before the first commercial break, in which we are told about a new drug that will cure a disease we didn’t even know existed, or are prodded to buy a new home protection system because a crazed murderer is sure to try to break into our home tonight. Is there any wonder that fear and worry is so common?
Knowing the precision of God’s Word, though, I find it extremely interesting that the phrase, “Do not fear” is in the Bible 365 times. I guess that is once for every day of the year. Obviously fear is something that God does not want us to have, thus the constant reminder about it throughout the Bible. Of course, “fear of the Lord” is a good thing. But in that respect “fear” actually means “awe”. What we are not suppose to have is fear in the normal sense of the word. In 2 Timothy 1:7, the King James Version tells us, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” If fear is not given to us by God, it must come from Satan and his demons. And anything we have received from the Evil One must be rejected just as we need to reject Satan himself.
The same is true of worry, too. I am reminded of a story I heard years ago:
Death was walking toward a city one morning and a man asked, “What are You going to do?”
“I’m going to take ten people today,” Death replied.
“That’s horrible,” the man said.
“That’s the way it is ,” Death said. “That’s what I do.”
The man hurried to warn everyone he could about Death’s plan. As evening fell, he met Death again.
“You told me you were going to take ten people.” the man said, “Why did a thousand die?”
“I kept my word,” Death responded. “I only took ten people. Worry took the others .”
“I’m going to take ten people today,” Death replied.
“That’s horrible,” the man said.
“That’s the way it is ,” Death said. “That’s what I do.”
The man hurried to warn everyone he could about Death’s plan. As evening fell, he met Death again.
“You told me you were going to take ten people.” the man said, “Why did a thousand die?”
“I kept my word,” Death responded. “I only took ten people. Worry took the others .”
OK. So we know we are not to fear or worry, and it is easy to write or say that, but how do we accomplish it in real life? Is there something we can do that really works?
Years ago, when I had only been a born again Christian for a very few months, a wise and seasoned believer wrote a verse on his business card and advised me to memorize it. The verse was Proverbs 3:5-6, which says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Fortunately I went home that night and followed the man’s advice. I committed the verse to memory. And I am so glad that I did. It has probably gone through my mind over a thousand times since then. I encourage you to do the same.
Did I immediately “trust in the Lord with all my heart?” Obviously, the answer is “no.” But as the years rolled by and my walk with Jesus became closer and closer, I learned through his unfailing faithfulness that I could actually trust in Him completely, in every single aspect of my life. The same is true for anyone.
The startling thing is that once unequivocal trust in God is a true part of our being, when we do trust Christ completely with all our heart, not only do fear and worry vanish, but a phenomenal contentment describes our lives. In Hannah Whithall Smith’s remarkable book from the mid 1800’s, The Christian’s Secret to a Happy Life (which should be compulsory reading for every Christian), the bottom line of the secret of a happy life is unquestioning and grateful trust in God.
No, don’t fear, don’t worry, just trust. Ulcers are the badge of the untrusting Christian. Pure contentment and peace are the badges of the one who trusts.
The wonderful results in this life, as well as the next, of daily and hourly pure unbridled trust in our Father may be the greatest of all the rewards we can gain in Unlocking God’s Secrets.
