Open Letter to Max Lucado #1.010
Chapter 1: Why are We Afraid?
Page 10
+ / ? “Do they remember the accomplishments of Christ? They may not. Fear creates a form of spiritual amnesia. It dulls our miracle memory. It makes us forget what Jesus has done and how good God is.”
This is probably more of a problem for us than we even realize. Fear debilitates our memories, our minds and our muscles. It can quite literally paralyze us, and Satan (the author of fear) knows it.
Quick question: why haven’t you written at all during this introduction about the origin of fear? Why is it that we fear in the first place? You tell us much about the problem of fear (as you ought), but leave the uninformed reader clueless as to why it is that they fear in the first place.
? “And fear feels dreadful. It sucks the life out of the soul, curls us into an embryonic state, and drains us dry of contentment. We become abandoned barns, rickety and tilting from the winds, a place where humanity used to eat, thrive, and find warmth. No longer. When fear shapes our lives, safety becomes our god. When safety becomes our god, we worship the risk-free life.”
It is true that fear does all of this. I would take issue, though, with your last two statements. “When fear shapes our lives, safety becomes our god. When safety becomes our god, we worship the risk-free life.”
If something else becomes our god, the one true God calls that sin. Exodus 20:3 tells us, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (KJV) Hoping for more clarity regarding sin in future pages!
+ / - “Can the safety lover do anything great? Can the risk-averse accomplish noble deeds? For God? For others? No. The fear-filled cannot love deeply. Love is risky. They cannot give to the poor. Benevolence has no guarantee of return. The fear-filled cannot dream wildly. What if their dreams sputter and fall from the sky? The worship of safety emasculates greatness. No wonder Jesus wages such a war against fear.”
All of this is also true, but I would remind you that we can do nothing great for God in our own power and limitations. (I know you know that, but you didn’t write it.)
Moreover, I would add this thought: “fear-filled” people can love and they can give to the poor, but they can’t do it as fully as they ought because over their insecurity and fear. (Not a small difference, mind you.)
+ “His most common command emerges from the “fear not” genre. The Gospels list some 125 Christ-issued imperatives. Of these, 21 urge us to “not be afraid” or “not fear” or “have courage” or “take heart” or “be of good cheer.” The second most common command, to love God and neighbor, appears on only eight occasions. If quantity is any indicator, Jesus takes our fears seriously. The one statement he made more than any other was this: don’t be afraid.”
A very valuable observation. If Jesus said it once, we ought to pay attention. If He told us 21 times, we have a dire need to listen and obey!
