WHEN FEAR REIGNS

DAY 13 OF 365 IN 2021

Hebrews 2:15 and [that He] might free all those who through [the haunting] fear of death were held in slavery throughout their lives.

‘Phobia’ is a suffix which when present at the end of a root word, is indicative of the existence of a clear and extreme fear. This may include fear of an object, place, situation or even a feeling. As a result, the list of phobias is a very long one. At some point in our lives, many may have seen or heard the words ‘face your fear’. There are even programmes where renumeration is offered to those ready to face the things they fear.

However, the decision to  face fears only stem from the acknowledgement that one has something they fear. Let’s not confuse this fear with reverential fear, the kind referred to in scripture as the “fear of the Lord” because those two are miles apart. Here is the thing: if your biggest fear finds its way into the hands of an enemy, one can expect a worst case scenario because an enemy will seek to exploit your weakness.

Subsequently, there is a real chance that we have seen people, whether in person or on screen, desperately attempt to hide what they call ‘ their biggest fears’. The writer of Hebrew could not have been more accurate in using the words “enslavement and bondage”. Pretty harsh words but intending to draw our attention to a serious matter because as long as the fear is present, the chains of bondage will remained firmly in place.

Sweetheart, whatsoever you fear, holds you to ransom! It is as though it has something over you. It will therefore interfere in your affairs; micromanaging your thoughts, decisions and actions. The presence of fear in any life is a precursor for trouble because fear and perfect love cannot coexist; for where there is love, fear loses its grounds.

By living in any kind of fear, we may end up forgetting what it means to actually live. And that is a big cause for concern.

#sly