Be Afraid...Be Very Afraid!

As I sat on my couch and watched the news last night, I was amazed at how every story was negative. Either someone was dead, going to jail, caught in a flood, running from the cops…etc. I got into work this morning and was bombarded by junk email proclaiming that the government was going to increase our taxes, take control of small businesses, destroy religious freedom as we know it, go to war with someone else…and so on. In other words, it all seems to be bad news.

In recent days I have been struck by the fact that a very large percentage of the information that I take in from our world is negative, violent, loveless and graceless. If you are a glutton for negativity…then saddle up to the buffet. It’s all around us. That said, do you think it is plausible that this is simply a tool of the enemy to take our joy and replace it with worry and fear?? I sure do!

When I sat down to have some time with God today, I opened the Bible to John 14. At this stage in John’s gospel, Jesus has announced some startling facts. He tells his disciples that he will be betrayed by one of his own followers, that he will be going away and that they cannot come, and that Peter, arguably the most passionate, will deny that he even knows Christ. Needless to say…it’s pretty bad news. Everyone is shocked, speechless and confused. But, in the moment, as the disciples begin to sulk, Jesus says, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.” …Don’t be troubled?!? Yeah right!

What about you? Are you troubled? Are you afraid? Ever notice how the world tells you that you should be? Our economy is collapsing. You’re going to lose your job, if you aren’t attacked by a terrorist first. Your kids are probably on drugs, and if they aren’t, they are drinking and sleeping around. And if all else fails, you will probably be…in a plane crash…hit by a drunk driver…poisoned by peanuts/spinach/tomatoes…caught in a flood/wildfire/mudslide/earthquake/volcanic eruption/nuclear meltdown. Get the picture? But, are any of these things new? I mean…

Sin is not new.
Death is not new.
War is not new.
Natural disasters aren’t new.

If you read the Bible you find a world in constant turmoil and flux. Corrupt leaders, pagan governments, slavery, rampant war and upheaval, it’s all there. Yet, Jesus says, “let not your heart be troubled”. In Matthew, Jesus also counsels his disciples to not be afraid by wars or rumors of wars saying, “those things must take place”. In other words, this is all a part of the plan. Don’t worry; I’m in control…I’ve got the wheel.

Yet, even after all Jesus’ teaching to his disciples on not worrying, they still didn’t get it. His victory on the cross seemed at first like pure defeat to the them. They fled scared that they would also be arrested and killed. They thought, “It’s over…He’s Gone…We lost.” But, it wasn’t over at all. Much to the contrary, the victory was fresh; the battle had been won.

For us, this message is as timely as they come. During these seasons where it seems as if so much of our world is dark, we cannot lose sight of the light we find in our Savior. Jesus has already won, and instructs us to not worry, just BELIVE. It’s all about faith…always has been. If we believe in Him, we truly have nothing to fear.

Let me encourage you this week to spend time with Him. It could be that you need to reconnect with His peace. Maybe you need to spend some time in prayer or in meditation over His Word. When was the last time you did that? Don’t have the time??....MAKE IT! He’s the creator of the heavens and the earth and you are His creation; He desires your heart and your worship. Don’t allow the negativity and fear we find in our world to overtake you. Instead, simply believe in God, and let not your heart be troubled.