Fear

Fear can make us do funny things.

I remember as a youngster how, after my evening bath, I would switch off the bathroom light, run through the living room (in darkness) and into the safety of our well lit kitchen. Then, at bedtime, I would jump onto my bed from a significant amount of feet away, just in case there were something with hands underneath it. "Were I the only one?" I think as I check for creepy fingers beneath my desk at work...

Fear also makes us miss wonderful opportunities and experiences. On the other hand there is FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out); doing so much because you're afraid of missing out.

The underlying driving force, however, is still fear. Whether it impels us into doing/attempting too much (FOMO), makes us freeze (not doing/attempting when we should), makes us fly (jumping onto our beds for no apparent reason), or makes us fight (putting up walls/defences with fists and guns raised), it is all driven by fear.

John sees the Christian life in a different light, though. He writes in 1 John 4:18

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

This is a truly convicting and challenging verse for me, because I notice that many of my life choices (however small or insignificant) are still influenced, if not driven, by fear. Going to a foreign country, expecting every local I come across wants to harm or exploit me, is not driven by love, but by fear. Going to a foreign country, seeing every local I come across for what they truly are (a person, a fellow human being who is deeply and utterly loved by God) is not driven by fear, but by love. The same applies for when I go to Tesco. Or travel on the bus. Or at home with my family (yes, even them...). Or meeting a young offender in Feltham. Or chatting with church people after a Sunday Service (yes, them too...). Read 1 Corinthians 13 for a guide as to what that love looks like in practice.

Nelson Mandela said: "May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears." In the same way I hope that, for all of us, our choices will reflect God's love for us and our love for each other, instead of our fears for one another. May we know and show love that knows no borders, spans across all cultures, lights up the darkest places, drives out every fear and flows unendingly from the Father.

Selah.