Fear: The Prelude

Anyone ever notice how people are more motivated by fear, than by any other emotion? Sure, we do things out of love, and we celebrate happiness, we mourn when we are sad, and act out in anger...but none of those things have ever deteriorated a marriage though lies and accusations, driven a priest to exploit his family in the name of self-preservation, or sparked a riotous frenzy that pits neighbor against neighbor, friend against friend, or a family against itself.

I am referencing, for example's sake, The Crucible by Arthur Miller. In 9th grade, I played the part of Thomas Putnam in the fall play. Thomas was a pompous weasel, who exploits the town's witch hunt for personal profit, at the price of his family's ruin. But that is irrelevant (I tend to ramble. Please forgive me.)

2010 was an interesting year for me. I'll save the gory details for another post, but the latter half was a time of reflection and introspection. And more than that, I began to pay more attention to the words and actions of others. Bewildered by the source of my own motivation, I sought to learn what motivated other people. What makes them tick. What their words are really saying. What their silence is actually saying.

For those film buffs, and junior historians out there, you will often notice that the key element giving clout to a pivotal scene, or significant event is driven by at least one party living in fear--not necessarily of another, but at least for the moment of truth where all is at stake. Hitler conquered most of Europe through a doctrine of fear and oratory. Mel Gibson's character in The Patriot, as with all men, feared failing his family and the monster inside of himself. When cornered by a lion, and it roars it's fierce, soul-penetrating roar--a most terrifying sound--even the greatest of men are brought to their knees, at the complete mercy of what intellectuals consider a lesser creature.

Fear is the crippling force that the enemy uses to trap us in our own minds, and destroy us from the inside out. It is a never-ending battle between the knowledge of truth possessed by the mind & heart, and the fabrications & false perceptions of reality wrought by the presence of Fears Minions: Worry, Dread, Paranoia, Angst, Panic, Awkward, Apprehension, and Terror. As each enters our psyche, our God-given wisdom & free will are reduced to the likes of a marionette's string. A puppet's lifeline. Bit & Bridle. Imperius. A leash...controlling and consuming our every thought.................

Fear grips us.
Fear makes us lie.
Fear makes us insecure.
Fear makes us gossip.
Fear awakens Ugly.
Fear brings corruption.
Fear turns us against our family and friends.
Fear breaks up marriages.
Fear destroys friendships.
Fear brings you to hate yourself.
Fear skews reality.
Fear tries to escape from reality.
Fear leads to self-mutilation.
Fear tells you that you're not good enough.
Fear perverts the truth.
Fear drives you to cling to a substance because it numbs you for a little while.
Fear renders you immobile when your action could make the biggest difference in someone's life.
Fear leads a married man turn to pornography and mistresses.
Fear tells a teenager to kill himself because it would be better to die, than to tell his family that he's a homosexual

Fear is man's biggest adversary, aside from Pride.

BUT Despite All Of This...

Fear. Cannot. Conquer. Love.

1 John 4:16-19

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like Him. 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. We love because He first loved us.

The human experience is all about discovery. And when we discover fear, it catches us off-guard 100% of the time. It has the element of surprise, but we cannot let it cripple us, for it's already been defeated. When Jesus allowed himself to endure one of the most gruesome forms of public execution that Man has ever concocted, He took the very spirit and nature of our Fear and drove it into the ground. So why do we allow it to linger, when we sample it's venomous brew? For the love of one man, one God, has already laid it to rest. My prayer for this new year is that we will be able to let go of our fears, and allow the sacrificial love of God to permeate throughout every fiber of our being. Let His love set you free this year. You are free.

~Matthew 11:28-30~