Why Be Afraid?

 “Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side! He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!” Hezekiah’s words greatly encouraged the people.

2 Chronicles 32:7-8

 

Why are we afraid?  Okay, perhaps that's too broad of a question, but I must ask it in a broad sense anyway.  Why are we afraid?  Think about it, we are afraid of things we cannot control: the stock market, our retirement investments, what someone else will do or say to or about us, others perception of us, the list is endless.  And think about this as well, how many times does scripture tell us to "Fear Not"?

 

Every thunderstorm, Woody Bear shakes and no matter how much we try to comfort him and assure him that it will be okay, he is still afraid.  Why?  Because he can see, hear and feel the thunderstorms and nothing we say or do will make that thunderstorm go away.  So he will ultimately go to his "safe place" which is in the back of the closet.  After the storm passes, and he is sure it has passed, he will come out and return to normal.  

 

Aren't we like that as well?  God tells us to not be afraid.  God tells us that HE will take care of us.  God tells us that He will NEVER turn His back on us.  Yet, we are afraid because of what we see, hear, and feel. And when our storm passes, we return to normal.  Why?  Is it because we trust OUR senses instead of the One who gave us our senses?  Is it because we don't truly trust that God will do what He promises?  We don't want to admit that we doubt, but we doubt when things don't go the way WE planned and we get afraid because we aren't the one in control.

 

God reminds us to "Fear Not" because what we face is simply temporary and we have THE One who is eternal on our side!