Aren't you sick of being Scared?

Almost another year is in the books, and to nobodies surprise the trumpets are blasting about how you better buckle down because we barely squeaked through this year, but next year will be hell…

If I can be honest, I’m pretty sure that’s the same song I’ve heard my whole life, each year it’s just played to a different tune.

I can expect that from the media and news outlets, but if I can be more honest, I see it just as bad in Christian circles.

That’s puzzling, considering ‘fear’ isn’t supposed to be the stand out marker of being a Christian. In fact, it is extremely antithetical to who we are called to be. Yet, it plagues our churches, institutions, and personal lives on many levels.

To prove it, here is just one verse from the New Testament that makes it almost embarrassingly clear that fear is not the default emotion of a Jesus follower:

“For the spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1.7

 That one line was written not because interest rates were on the rise, or inflation was making it hard to eat out after church. But rather, was written in the face of true persecution that looked like death.

 I don’t ever want to act like tough times don’t exist whether that’s on a personal, national, or global level. And the spirit, nor scripture, wants us to act that way either. None the less, we are charged with facing hard and difficult times differently. We don’t cling to fear, but rather to our faith.

 I know that can come off a little cliché. But it’s the truth and if we don’t flip the script on it, then what’s the point of following Jesus? I mean seriously! Why would you dedicate your time, resources and energy to a specific type of belief that you only kind of believe?

 Over, and over, and over throughout the bible God is adamantly encouraging us to be a people who live without fear. It’s not that there won’t be moments that the urge to be fearful wont pop up. It’s just that God wants us to know that when it does, it’s a sign post for us to run and lean into Him, not set up camp there like it’s are final destination.

 So, what do we do if we have been allowing fear to reign in our life for too long?

 For starters, it’s really important to audit what voices are getting to speak into your life.

 Paul is writing this letter to his mentee, Timothy. Part of the letter to Timothy focuses on the part that though he is young, God has appointed him to be a leader within his community and church. That’s the voice Timothy chooses to listen to. But there were other voices that were telling Timothy the exact opposite. That’s pretty much why Paul was writing to him. To counter the fear others were trying to pour on him.

 God desires for us to turn up the volume on His mic, and mute the others that lead us down the path of fear. The letter written to Timothy is a way in which God is communicating to us that we to should follow suit.

 Paul, wrote another letter, and in it he is sharing with a community of believers that they aren’t supposed to just conform to how the rest of the world navigates life. And neither are we. He goes on by telling them that instead they are to be transformed by renewing their mind.

 When do we do that? One time? Once a year? Once a month? NO, we are to renew our mind daily, maybe even multiple times throughout our day.

 I think it’s interesting that there is a quote out there that states, “The opposite of courage is not fear, but conformity.” Out of that conformity can be many things, fear included.

 That means we have to stay very involved in knowing which microphones are turned up in our lives. That means that when we feel the sensation of fear kick in we remind ourselves that is not the spirit we are given. And that means that the way we renew are mind is by focusing on things that are right, beautiful, true, admirable, excellent, and praise worthy.

 The dusty old dialogue of “gas is high, inflation is crushing, and politicians suck,” is boring, exhausting, and at best, like a hit of a drug that releases a tiny bit of dopamine before we crash.

 We stand in the shadows of 2023, and that really means nothing other than the calendar looks a little different. But hopefully it can mean more for your soul if you feel like its time to step into the spirit you have been given.

 Obviously if you don’t follow Jesus, you can do whatever you want, and you can anchor your soul and emotions to whatever fear tactics your heart desires. But those of us who at some point decided we wanted to follow the ways of the man who acted as if He was God…then we are without a doubt beckoned to a life transformation that usually starts with our emotional senses.

 If you’re sick of being scared, that’s good news. That’s never who you were called to be anyway.