FEAR AND COURAGE

“We do lose heart… and it happens to us so often. It happens when our fears, our intimate lifetime enemies, overtake our better hopes. It happens when our fears wear us down and occupy the best of our time. They make us lose heart and keep us from living more fully. We fear that our past will actually catch up with us. Fear also of crossing bridges we may never get to. It is a lifelong game of “what if” that wastes our time and erodes our present. If perfect love cast out fear, then it is also possible for perfect fear to cast out love,” writes Jeffery H. Walker.

The lifelong game of “what if” has been played by most of us… and some of us have become outstanding players. The answer to this ever-intruding fear is courage. And, like so many things that seem to have a cute little formula answer of some kind…this sounds that way… but courage is the answer.

Walker continues, “Courage isn’t the absence of fear. It is staring fear right in the face and not being crippled by it. It is going ahead even when you are scared to death. It is a willingness to risk something of ourselves. Do what needs to be done anyway. Risk looking foolish or failing. Risk looking stupid.”

That may be the biggest fear of all… to risk looking stupid. That is really hard on our stubborn, polished and protected egos.

“Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Jesus