Missing the Mark

The Sin of Fear

“What would you say is the most frequent command in Scripture? ‘Be good”? ‘Be holy’? Or negatively, ‘Don’t be immoral’? No. The most frequent command in the Bible is: “Don’t be afraid.’ ‘Fear not.’”
Jan Johnson (Weavings)

The commandment, ‘don’t be afraid’ did not originate with Jesus. It goes all the way back to Abraham and Moses, to Joshua and Jacob. ‘Fear not.’ Ever wonder why? I think it is because fear causes us to do so many things that we would otherwise not do, and it prevents us from doing what we know we should. It even prevents us from opening our minds to new ideas and historical research that might give our lives new meaning. Fear undergirds every wrong turn and wrong thought; it causes wars and prevents peace.

Fear comes in a million flavors-lying, insisting upon control, anger, power mongering, all the seven deadly sins, waywardness in our commitments and our faith. The opposite of fear is trust. That is why it appears so often in Scripture. Trust is the basis of our relationship to God. From Noah to Paul, we are admonished to trust God; to walk in trust without fear.

Trust does not mean that we march like lambs to the slaughter, as we so fear. In Matthew 10:16, Jesus tells his disciples: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” In other words, be smart and gentle. Use your brain, not your fist, or better still, use your heart, and not your weapon.

Recognizing fear takes some practice. I have to ask myself ‘why did I say that?’ or ‘what am I trying to prove here?’ or ‘why didn’t I speak up?’ often. Fear is so much a part of who we are, we’ve learned to disguise it from ourselves. We lie to a friend and tell ourselves we’re protecting them. We keep silent in situations of bigotry or when someone makes a sexist remark, and tell ourselves ‘I didn’t want to make a scene.’ We say truly unkind things and think, ‘she deserves it.’

To fear is human. To recognize it and to challenge it is difficult. Some affirmations help. I have everything I need. I have nothing to fear. I trust that I am being led, that I am being cared for. I trust that I am on the right path. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.” Say them often.

In the spirit,
Jane