FEAR

Men live by faith or fear

Fear is an emotion that arises from the threat of danger or pain. Like all emotions, fear is standard equipment of the human condition—we all are subject to it. Yet, we can train ourselves to set it aside to turn hardship into grace. That is what courage is, not the absence of fear but dominion over it.

For example, while man has an ingrained fear of falling, a paratrooper overcomes it to jump out of an airplane. Not because he is fearless, but because his training has taught him to set aside his fear in the belief that his parachute will open. Prior to entering the plane, the paratrooper inspects the outside of his parachute, but not the inside. He must not only hope that the riggers have properly packed the parachute but also have confidence that they have done so even because he cannot see it for himself.

This is the essence of faith—confidence in what is hoped for and assurance about what is not seen. Just as the paratrooper entrusts his life to his parachute, a man of faith entrusts his life to his God. Although he cannot see Him, he believes that God works for his good in all things because he loves Him. Through his faith that man has nothing to fear so he sets the emotion aside whenever he feels it and relies on God.

A man without faith cannot do that. Instead, fear will govern his actions because he has nothing to rely upon but himself. Only through faith will a man set aside his fear through the peace of trusting a God that is working for his good in every circumstance.

Men live by faith or fear