Fear: Facing Our Fears

Wed, 5 May 2010 08:43:39 -0500

“I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. I know him; because I am from him, and he sent me.”

A pastor asked a little boy if he said his prayers every night.

“Yes, sir,” the boy replied.

“And, do you always say them in the morning, too?” the pastor asked.

“No sir,” the boy replied. “I’m not scared in the daytime.”

In our darkest hours, all of us have lost sleep over fears of what the future might hold. In recent months, some of those fears have become a living nightmare for our nation. Like that little boy, we’re praying hard for brighter days ahead even as economists predict that this recession could be a protracted one.

At times like this, we can draw comfort from today’s Responsorial Psalm, which reads, “Jehovah is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as are of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but Jehovah delivereth him out of them all.”

To make it through this difficult period, we will also need the kind of courage that Jesus displayed as His “appointed hour” approached. John’s Gospel makes nineteen references to the appointed hour.

The thought of His coming trials and tribulations was never far from Jesus’ mind. He was keenly aware that each day brought Him closer to the cross. Yet, Christ did not let fear hold Him back. He dared to attend The Feast of the Tabernacles where the Jewish leaders and their cohort would be present in large numbers and might seize and kill Him. The feast was a seven-day celebration of the great fall harvest, in which Jews made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. There, in accordance with Leviticus 23:33-43, they stayed in temporary dwellings as a reminder of the years they had wandered aimlessly in the wilderness.

As an observant Jew, Jesus went out of His way, traveling from Galilee to Judea, to attend the feast. Midway through the festival, the Lord entered the Temple and began preaching. His boldness took His adversaries by surprise. They tried to have Him arrested; but no one would risk seizing Him in broad daylight in front of all His followers. All His enemies could hurl at Him were epithets.

Jesus did not let fear hold Him back. He had the courage of His convictions. He knew that after the appointed hour He would conquer death and come into His glory. His focus was not on the here and now but on the hereafter.

In our time of trial and tribulation, we can draw the strength and courage we need from Jesus. We can follow His example - - instead of focusing on real or imagined fears, we can ask our selves what good might come out of this situation. Then we can begin working and praying to make those positive outcomes a reality.

“For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

Handling Our Fears: John 16: 29-33

Mon, 4 Aug 2008 09:10:35 -0500

Fear is a recurring theme in the Bible, mentioned 326 times compared to 121 mentions for the word prayer.

The world can be a scary place. There are plenty of perils to get our hearts pounding, knees knocking and palms sweating. But in today's Gospel, Jesus tells His followers to be confident - - He has brought peace to the world.

Of course, some fears are well founded and should be heeded. Proverbs 9:10 says, "The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." A healthy sense of fear can save us from serious harm.

But many fears are unrealistic and can prevent us from achieving all we are meant to do with our lives. Those fears can be overcome by praying and by surrounding ourselves with people who exhort us to face our fears and act boldly.

Dorothy Bernard put it this way: "Courage is fear that has said its prayers."

Courage is doing the best you can, when you know it might not be enough. It is having the conviction - - faith - - in a power greater than yourself and the willingness to risk because it is the right thing to do under the circumstances.

At times, faith may prompt us to act decisively in ways that will not be understood by the world. But in those situations, we are able to do so with confidence because Jesus told us He has conquered the world.

Like Saint Paul, we are able to say, "I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me."

Overcoming Fear and Anxiety

Fear: Facing Our Fears

Handling Our Fears: John 16: 29-33