What Fear Can Do.

Scripture Texts: John 11:38-57; Psalms 34

Fear finds all of us. For some fear does not have to work hard, while for others it must make several attempts. No matter who you are there is something you fear.

The religious leaders of Jesus day show what they are most afraid of after word of Jesus raising Lazarus begins to spread. Their fear is not what God is doing and how they are trying to stop it. No, their fear is of the Roman government. To be clear, the Romans were to be feared. When it came to cruelty and inflicting pain and suffering few other groups of people in history have excelled like the Romans. However, should the people of God fear an earthly government more than the God of all creation.

God was in the process of drawing all people into full relationship through the life and works of Jesus. The religious leaders of the day were working hard to stop what Jesus was doing because it threatened their security and good standing with the Romans. Even if it meant being on the other side of what God was doing, the religious leaders would side with the Romans for their own prosperity.

Before we are too harsh on the religous leaders, we must recognize each one of us can find ourselves in the same dilemma. We would rather play it safe by earthly standards rather than risk following what God is up to in our midst. In other words we fear this life more than we fear God.

This can happen in a marriage as well. We can fear upsetting our spouse. We can fear what others will think about our marriage. Fear can even convince us that we will be in ruin if we whole-heartedly follow after God with our marriage. When all is said and done it really comes down to the question who do we fear more.

Unfortunately this is not a simple battle, and not one that is fought only once. Almost daily we need to be vigilant in managing our fears. In the end our hope is found in seeking God, and what God is doing in our midst, more than what we value of this world. Until this life is over, or Christ returns, we will be in this battle. May we all win more than we give in.