Voices of Faith: 'Do not be afraid'of living

Advice columnist Ann Landers reportedly receives some 10,000 letters per month. When asked to name the most pressing problem in her readers' lives, she answered, "The one problem above all others seems to be fear. People are afraid of losing their health, their wealth and their loved ones. People are afraid of life itself."

And who can blame them? Rarely does a day go by without news of another violent domestic or international event. Even a cursory reading of the Bible reveals that things weren't much different in those days than they are today. God's people continually found themselves in harm's way. Yet, his constant command to them was: "Do not be afraid."

When God called Abram to leave the familiar for the unfamiliar, he said, "Do not be afraid I am your shield, your very great reward." To Moses, who faced a pagan enemy, the Lord reassured, "Do not be afraid of him, for I have delivered him into your hands."

The young prophet Jeremiah heard from the Lord: "Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you." The angel Gabriel said to the mother of Jesus, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God." Jesus comforted his disciples the night before his death, "Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." (Gen. 15:1, Num. 21:34, Jer. 1:8, Luke 1:30, NIV). This represents just a sampling of the scores of occasions on which God delivered such words.

Certainly, there are those times when fear is normal and acceptable. Will your money run out before the end of the month? Will you reach a point where someone else will have to care for you? You get bad report from the doctor or a call that a loved one has been involved in an accident. Shouldn't we be just a little afraid when walking alone down a dark, dangerous street? Typically, though, fear functions as a negative, debilitating emotion.

Consider Shoikoi Yokoi, who spent 28 years incarcerated. Not a prison of walls and bars, but rather one of dread and fear. Shoikoi was serving as a Japanese soldier on the island of Guam when the tide turned in World War II. Fearing that defeat meant certain capture by American forces, he retreated into the jungle and hid in a cave. Eventually, he discovered that the war was over by reading one of the thousands of leaflets that were dropped on the island by American planes.

Even then, he feared being taken prisoner, so he remained in his cave. For over a quarter of a century, he ventured out only at night. He lived on rats, roaches, mangoes and frogs. Only when hunters discovered him was he convinced that it was safe to leave the jungle.

Literally, this tragedy is rare indeed. Yet, spiritually speaking it's going on all around us. Millions find themselves bound by shackles of angst, anxiety and apprehension. If you're among those, consider these words from the apostle Paul, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Tim 1:7, KJV).

God has great plans for you as 2016 unfolds. Don't be afraid to discover and delve into them.

Todd Gaddis is senior pastor of First Baptist Church in LaFayette, Ga., where he has served since 1999. His 10th book, "Unsearchable Things: Communicate Better with God," is available on Amazon. Read his weekly blog posts at www.toddgaddis.com.

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