Fear

Reposted from The Cripplegate.

With the current global situation, it’s likely that anxiety is more common than usual. There are reasons for concern in this dark hour. Anxiety can be a very difficult thing to battle. But God’s word has answers.

Whether you battle with anxiety, or love someone who does, here are a few thoughts on anxiety and the glory of God.

1. The experience of anxiety is difficult.

You might be someone who never experiences anxiety or worry. Glory to God if so. It might be helpful to understand a bit what it’s like to go through it.

I don’t have to tell those of you who have experienced it, that anxiety is an unpleasant sensation. For those who have experienced prolonged and severe bouts of it, that is a major understatement.

Anxiety could be defined as “the state of feeling nervous or worried that something bad is going to happen” (Oxford). Often times it can start with a slow train-wreck in the mind. One thought begins to crash after another. And another, and another. And then it feels impossible to control, as frightening and unsettling thoughts begin to compound, like that derailed train wreck. It keeps going and crashing, and it feels like you can do nothing.

From Baptist Bulletin, © 2018 Regular Baptist Press, all rights reserved. First published at Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary blog.

By Jacob Elwart

“I do not know this Man of whom you speak!” (Peter in Mark 14:71).

It’s easy for us to stand at a distance and throw stones at Peter for denying Christ, and to claim that we would do better than he. But have you ever squandered a clear opportunity to testify about Jesus? Truthfully, I can relate to Peter, because I too have confessed that Jesus is the Messiah, but at times, I am paralyzed by the fear of man.

The Bible has a lot to say about our fear of man, giving numerous examples of people (both believers and unbelievers) who at times were driven by this fear: Adam, Abraham, Isaac, Lot, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Samson, Saul, David, the Pharisees, Peter, Ananias and Sapphira, etc. Why is the fear of man such a strong motivation for us? Why are we driven by what other people think about us? Why are our choices motivated by the danger that might come from other people?

Jesus offers three answers in Luke 12:1–12. Before we consider the text, a definition of the fear of man might be helpful. Fear of man can be described as a heightened awareness of self that comes because of a possible threat. When we fear man, we are most worried about what someone may do to us.