Falling asleep was a challenging event during my childhood. No sooner
had my parents turned out the lights than the crumpled clothes I had thrown on
the chair would take on the form of a fiery dragon and the thoughts of
something living under my bed put me into a panic that made sleep impossible.
I’ve come to realize that the immobilizing power of fear is not just a
childhood experience. Fear keeps us from forgiving, taking a stand at the
office, giving our resources to God’s kingdom, or saying no when all our
friends are saying yes. Left to ourselves, we are up against a lot of fiery
dragons in our lives.
In the story of the disciples in the storm-tossed boat, I’m struck by
the fact that the only one who was not afraid was Jesus. He was not afraid of
the storm, nor was He afraid of a crazy man in a graveyard or of the legion of
demons that possessed him (Matt. 8:23-34).
In the face of fear, we need to hear Jesus ask, “Why are you fearful?”
(v.26) and be reminded that He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb.
13:5-6). There is nothing that He can’t overcome and therefore nothing for Him
to fear. So, next time you’re haunted by your fears, remember that you can rely
on Jesus, our fearless Champion!
In times of fear, call out to God, our fearless Champion. (RBC)
