For God hath not given us the spirit of
fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7
Fear has been with us from the beginning, not as an
infrequent visitor but as a constant companion. Fear may be the oldest and
strongest emotion of mankind. It is the
first human emotion referred to after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden
in Genesis 3. After they disobeyed God
by eating the forbidden fruit, God came looking for the first couple to take
their customary evening walk together. Adam’s
response to God’s inquiry about their whereabouts was: “I heard You in the garden, and I was
afraid because I was naked; so I hid” (v.10). For the first time in their lives, fear
gripped the hearts of Adam and Eve because of what they had lost and the One
they had to face.
The source of their fear arose from
disobedience that brought about danger, disconnection, and desperation.
Danger: Safety was lost outside of Eden. Once evicted
from the friendly confines of paradise, the man and woman were forced to face a
world fraught with danger and increasing hostility (Genesis
3:14-19; 9:2-6). The apostle Paul
described an internal struggle with fear that was provoked by external dangers
threatening him:
“We were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within” (2
Corinthians 7:5). Fear was
born when man was no longer under the full protection of God.
Disconnection: Also, Adam felt vulnerable because he became
separated from his Provider God. The death that he experienced immediately
after he sinned was the loss of his vital connection with God. He knew he was at risk. He was naked, but it was much deeper than
that. He was emotionally, relationally,
and spiritually cut off from his life-giving God. Whenever our sense of well-being is
threatened, we experience the same shudder of fear that Adam felt. We feel alone and vulnerable. Our disconnection from God fuels our fearful
struggle with insecurity, inadequacy, and self-doubt.
Desperation: Adam lost control of his world. He was banished from the Garden, estranged
from his wife, alienated from his God, and desperate to figure out how to
survive in a hostile environment. We all
hate to feel out of control. Dan Allender wrote, “Different people fear different things with different levels of
intensity, but all of us fear what we cannot control. Fear is provoked when the threat of danger
exposes our inability to preserve what we most deeply cherish.” Fear invades our most cherished relationships
because we have no real control over another person. People are free to make their own choices. And where there is freedom, there is fear. Some spouses fear betrayal; others fear being
ignored or unloved. Parents fear that
their children won’t turn out okay. Employees
fear that the company will downsize. A
sense of desperation comes when we lose control.
The truth about life is that all of the above are the
experience we live in every day.
Therefore, fear can become the natural state in which we live. The damage of such a state is profound. Many physical issues, emotional issues and
spiritual issues emanate from a spirit of fear.
But this is not God’s desire. He
offers us courage, wisdom and guidance to offset our fear. All of these are found in a vital relationship
with Him through prayer, Bible study and worship.
Scripture to Claim:
THE LORD is my Light and my Salvation--whom shall I fear
or dread? The Lord is the Refuge and Stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be
afraid? …Though a host encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war
arise against me, [even then] in this will I be confident.
Psalms 27:1&3
