Too many believers hide their God-given abilities and gifts under a bushel. Why? Because of fear. Sadly, many of them will lose those talents and abilities if they are not exercised for God’s glory. It’s a worldly sounding expression but none the less true, “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.” Jesus taught, “And from everyone who has been given much shall much be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more” (Luke 12:48b). All around us are people whose lives are being strangled by the pythons of fear. They are hardly able to function because they are tied in the knots of fear. Fear is at the core of their lives. When fear dominates, there is no room for Christ Who comforts us: “These things have I spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulations: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Our Lord presented the parable of the talents and how He gave each person different talents. The man with one talent alibied, with sullen lips protruding, “I took your talent, and I hid it in the ground because I was afraid” (Matthew 25:14-30). “I was afraid!” It’s heartbreaking to think of all the unutilized talent in our churches. Many will never use those gifts because they are afraid. Because of that, people are ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. Just think of how many believers there are in a church who are not involved in doing anything by way of serving the Lord or others with their talents and giftedness! Almost every believer would probably want to be a soul-winner. Why is it, then, that only two or three out of every one hundred Christians ever knowingly lead a soul to Christ? The late Dr. Roland Q. Leavell, author of the classic Evangelism: Christ’s Imperative Commission, wrote that fear was the number-one cause for Christians not witnessing. The icy fingers of fear strangle their witness! So many are deathly afraid of failure and the embarrassment that may accompany it. If you believe you are going to fail, the chances are you will. Have you tried driving behind a person who was so fearful, he was going to catch every red light that he did? They program themselves, because of fear, for failure. They can’t win for losing. Their favorite phrase is, “I can’t.” And they can’t, sure enough! Their built-in fear projects upon them, and they make constant negative confessions. Sort of like the late Hank Williams, Sr., who died at the age of twenty-nine, opined: “Don’t worry none ‘cause things ain’t gonna get no better nohow.” You may think that only weak people are fearful, right? Not so. Strong persons are oftentimes profoundly afraid. At one time, Julius Caesar remarked that even the shouts of his enemies were music to his ears. But he was terribly afraid of thunder. When it vaguely looked like a storm was brewing, he would begin to shiver and shake. Peter the Great, considered “the greatest” czar of Russia, was terrified to cross a bridge. He would tremble in his boots as he stepped onto any bridge. People, even those considered mighty otherwise, can be obsessed and possessed by fear. Have you ever been neutralized by fear? You had an incomparable opportunity, but you were afraid, and that opportunity has now disappeared. Because of your fear, will it be written of you, “The saddest words of tongue or pen are these—it might have been?” So we have fear and forgetfulness, fear and failure. And, (3) Fear and fraility. It is now widely known that fear can literally sicken us and weaken our bodies. Paul advised Timothy, “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your often infirmities.” More than likely Timothy was sickly and was probably having stomach disorders. Back in those days, internal medicine was almost non-existent. Maybe Timothy had a peptic ulcer or colitis. Was he afraid because he was sick? Maybe. But it is perhaps more reasonable to surmise that he was sickly because he was afraid. His sickness could have been precipitated by his fear. Many Christians are inclined toward a fearful disposition, and he was sick from his fears. One prominent American internist observed at a roundtable discussion on psychosomatic medicine: “In spite of what they say, 90% of the chronic patients who see today’s physicians have one common problem. Their trouble did not start with a cough or chest pain or hyperacidity. In 90% of the cases, the first symptom was fear.” All types of problems can be created by fear. Others can be inflamed because of worry and fear, for instance in the case of arthritis. You can worry yourself into a hospital or institution. At times people are literally worried stiff! Worry is strongly tied to fear. They are noxious first cousins who feed on each other. People who are carrying the burdensome load of worry and fear often suffer strokes and heart attacks. It is estimated that the vast majority of physical illnesses are caused by fear, stress, strain, and worry. Fear in your life is like sand in machinery. Faith in your life is like oil—it lubricates the life. But fear will do to you what grit does to machinery. Ok, that’s enough talk about the problem of fear. Next, it’s time to talk about the solution to fear. MORE TOMORROW! STAY TUNED!
Posted on: Thu, 08 Aug 2013 03:48:39 +0000
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