FEAR NOT!

My dear friend,

 

I want to talk to you about something that we all struggle with, namely FEAR.

 

Fear is something that we grow up with. It has been with us since we were small, whether we have been threatened with something or not. It gets stronger as we grow up and some of us still struggle with it. If we do not confront our fears we will never overcome it and will not be able to rule over it.

 

Let’s have a look at the parable of the talents that Jesus tells about in Matthew 25:14-30. We all know this story.

 

The master went on a trip and gave three of his servant’s different talents each, to look after. The one received five, the next one two and the last received one talent. The master did not give them a specific assignment about what must be done with the talents.

 

The first two servants made work of their talents. No one told them what to do with it; they jumped out and put it to work. Their efforts were rewarded when their talents were doubled with what they were given at the start. No matter what they did with their talents, they were at risk of losing it.

 

The last servant, however, buried his given talent in the ground and when the master came back, gave it back to him. He told his master that he was scared and knew him to be a harsh man that reaped where he did not sow and gathered where he did not scatter. And the reason for him burying his talent was because he did not want to take the risk in losing his talent.

 

Hear the harsh words his master tells him: “Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: thou oughtest therefore, to have put my money to the exchangers and then at my coming I should have received my own with usury. .. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:26-30)

 

This man’s fear made of him a “good-for-nothing” servant in the eyes of his master and he paid a high price because of this. What is the price our fears make us pay?

 

Where did the fear of this servant come from? From exactly the same place where the fear of Adam and Eve came from after they sinned – the devil!

 

If I can put it this way, I believe that God hates fear with everything inside of Him, because, in using fear, amongst other things, Satan has stolen us, the crown of God’s creation, from Him.

 

God however knows that His full power is still in us and want for us to overcome our fears. He says in His word: ”For God hath not given us the spirit of fear…”. (2 Timothy 1:7)

 

Do you know how many times “do not fear” is written in the Bible? One hundred and eighteen times!!!!

 

Our FATHER wants for us to live above our fears and not suffer under it.

 

What, however do we choose to do?

 

Do we occasionally stand back from performing God’s work and bearing witness of Him in front of other people? Will we go to strangers and pray for them? Do we help the poor people begging at the robots, or even worse the street children? It is much easier getting the “Thousand yard stare” and look past everything and everyone. We fear as to what people will think when we get involved with those kinds of people.

 

I have to ask, what will God think of you acting in such a way?

 

My dear friend, I speak just as harsh with myself in this article. I am the last one that can point a finger at anyone. I do not want to condemn anyone, but, we must stop playing Christian.

 

It is like a preacher once said; we all stand righteous before God. We have exactly the same stand of righteousness. Not all of us accept that we are righteous because a lot of us have not yet accepted Jesus. With only our stand of righteousness we mean nothing for the man on the street. Even if our walk in righteousness is holy, it is still zero on a contract for the people around us.

 

Jesus says that we must bear fruit. Fruit is something people can eat. Our fruit of righteousness can mean something for the people on the street; A hug for a hobo or food for a hungry child instead of scolding or badmouthing them. We must start giving out the “fruit” of God that is inside of us. How many of us say that we live a beautiful life and have love for everyone? Look at what fruit you bear. Remember Jesus said that a tree will be known by its fruit. A bad tree cannot bear good fruit or a good tree bad fruit. Let’s look at ourselves through the eyes of others and judge ourselves on the fruit we bear.

 

If we are too scared to give our “fruit” to others, we have become like the servant that buried his talent. God will also say to us what the servant’s master told him.

 

We must use our God given talents and make work of it so that we can give the character of God that is inside of us to others. The other two servants that made work of their talents, doubled it, and received a much bigger reward from their master.

 

Do you know that the servant’s master knew of the risk he took, as his servants might lose his money? Nevertheless he trusted them fully with his possessions.

 

In the same way God trusts you fully with the talents that He gave you. Do not disappoint Him in burying your talents just because you are scared to use it. The talents that He has given you will not run out either. Remember, the more you make work of it, the more He gives you.

 

Hebrews 10:35 says: “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward”. How can we receive the reward if we do not have confidence? How can we have confidence if we have fear within us?

 

If you enter into GOD’s place with your life story, the following is written on the door:

       “FEAR PROHIBITED”.

 

May God give you victory over your fears because Jesus has already died with it and rose in victory!

 

Cobus van Heerden