You and I both are confronted on a regular basis by things that scare us. It’s just the way that life is.
Sometimes, it’s something that just hits us out of the blue. A health scare. A financial crisis. A relationship thing. A work thing.
Other times, it’s something that God’s called us to do and we think to ourselves – Is God crazy? Why does He want me to do this? Why has He called me into this place? Doesn’t He realise how scary this is?
Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.
And the moment we experience fear, we immediately assume that we lack either the power to do what God’s called us to do, or the courage to do it, or both.
The moment we taste fear, we assume we’re a failure!
But the fact is that fear and courage are two sides of the one coin. When you think about it, unless there’s something to be afraid of, who needs courage?
Maybe it’s axiomatic that courage simply cannot exist, unless it does so in the face of fear. How’s that for a reality check?!
Don’t know if you know the story of Gideon in the Old Testament. God’s people were in something of a pickle. There was a massive – and I mean a massive army against them. Totally overwhelming odds. The enemy numbered in the hundreds of thousands.
God needs a man who can lead His army against the enemy. So He goes to Gideon. Now Gideon was a great choice because he was a man of strength – a mighty warrior (Judges 6:12). And what’s Gideon’s immediate response?
Why is God letting this happen? I can’t possibly lead an army against this massive enemy!!
And if you read Gideon’s story for yourself, you discover his reactions are those of fear and doubt and uncertainty. Gideon takes some convincing. Despite being a mighty warrior, it turns out Gideon is just as human, just as frail, just as afraid … as thee and me. (I love that!)
The courage, the resolve, the preparedness to lay his life on the line only come as God faithfully, gently, tenderly leads him through his fears.
It seems to me that fear is an incredible opportunity.
The opportunity not just to experience God’s power to do the things we can’t do, but to be given a supernatural courage. The sort of courage that only comes from Him!
