The Reality of Fear

A lot of people witnessed the developing storm which produced a tornado that left a path of destruction in the heart of Jonesboro and the surrounding area. The moment the tornado touched the ground and we witnessed the debris being sucked up in its powerful rotation, our hearts were heavy with fear and concern for the threat of the loss of human life. Time seemed to freeze as we watched the force of the tornado destroy everything in its path. Life at this point was more precious than it was seconds before. The fear of someone losing their life was real and yet it seemed so surreal that this act of nature was occurring before our eyes.  One reality of this fear was the fact that if someone was in the path of this tornado, their life was in great jeopardy.

 We take our life for granted and we feel that we will live forever. Then something happens that reminds us that life is but a vapor. It is my hope and prayer that this tragic storm has made us all stop and reevaluate our lives and the condition of our soul. Are we content with the life we are living, knowing that our Lord does not approve of our actions? Are we living a life that is not fully committed to serving our Lord? These are questions that need to seriously be answered. Now is the time to make sure we are prepared for the great judgement that will come to all. The power of the storm is no comparison to the power of the God whose incredible creation is beyond our comprehension.

The commitment and our faith toward God should consume our very being. We should be overwhelmed with the zeal to serve Him with an attitude of humility. Just as Jesus said to Satan in Matthew 4:10, “Then Jesus said to him, ^[a]“Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.” Our service to God is determined by our actions. If it is our desire to please Him, we must do those things that He has commanded and expects us to do. We need to be careful with the words that we speak, the places that we go, the people we associate with and how we worship. Our attitude toward our worship service should be one that has us attend every service possible to help us grow stronger in our faith. To please Him, we will not let the world dictate our lives to the point we are forsaking the opportunities that are given to come together with brothers and sisters in Christ. It is through the bond we have with each other that strengthens us and gives us the courage to stand up to the world. This bond is made stronger each time we come together. As one force, we fight the good fight until that day comes when we will all have a home in Heaven.  1 Timothy 6:11-14 teaches us how we are to fight. “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴ that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing”.

With the circumstances that we are facing in our world with the threat of spreading the Coronavirus, we are left with a gap in our lives. We all look forward to and eagerly anticipate the day when this gap will be filled, and we are able to assemble together again.  

Let us take all the emotions we have recently experienced and turn it into a life changing positive experience. We need to pause and consider where we are at with our obedience to our Lord and Savior.  Are we taking advantage of the time we have on this earth to worship in a way that fills our heart with all the joys God has given us?

The main reality of fear is that as a faithful Christian, there is no fear. The only thing to fear is the thought that what we are doing in our life is not acceptable to our Heavenly Father and our eternal life is not in heaven.