Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012

Pastor's Commentary: Overcoming Fears

"As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, 'Let's cross to the other side of the lake.' So they took Jesus in the boat and started out … But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, 'Teacher, don't you care that we're going to drown?' When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, 'Silence! Be still!' Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, 'Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?' The disciples were absolutely terrified. 'Who is this man?' they asked each other. 'Even the wind and waves obey him!' " (Mark 4:35-41, NLT).

Jesus asks, "Why are you afraid?" The Greek word here translated afraid is deilos, meaning timidity and cowardice, and is always negative.

Next we read, "The disciples were absolutely terrified." The Greek word here translated terrified is phobos from which we get our word phobia, meaning a fear that is sometimes a negative terror and sometimes a positive reverence. The "terrified" disciples probably had both going on. First, they were just plain scared. But second, they were in awe about who this man was that could control nature and calm the seas and the storm.

When the Bible tells us that "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). Here deilos is the word translated fear.

Some say fear increases with age. As we grow older we may have a stronger sense of our own powerless, failure to love, and doubtful thinking. Thankfully the healthy answer is to overcome all our fears everyday with God's gracious gifts of power, love and a sound mind. Faith in these gifts will overcome our fears and bring us greater health, life and usefulness.

Then, in another passage, the Bible tells us that "there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love" (1 John 4:18, ESV). Hear the word fear is from phobos and is negative like deilia.

Again love is the answer to fear. If we will allow God's love to enter in, it has the power to push the spirits of fear out of our being. In fact, any fears can now serve us to indicate that it's time to soak in the love of God some more!

Jesus' friend, Mary, seemed to get that. She quieted down and sat listening at Jesus' feet She did this even while her well-meaning sister, Martha, frantically huffed, puffed, fussed and fumed around her getting the meal ready. Mary knew that her soaking time with Jesus was more important than anything else (Luke 10:38-42).

John Parker meets with his ChristChurch friends on Sundays, at 10 a.m. at 260 North Sixth St. in Chowchilla and welcomes you there, too.