Two little brothers walked into a
dentist's office. One said: “I want a
tooth taken out and I don't want any gas because we're in a hurry.” The dentist said: “You're quite a brave
young man. Which tooth is it?” The boy turned to his smaller brother, and
said: “Show him your tooth, Tommy.”
A common fear - going to the
dentist. What are you afraid of? Is there something you are genuinely afraid
of? Psychology tells us that fear is an
innate response to physical and emotional danger. If we didn't feel fear, we couldn't protect
ourselves from legitimate threats. Fear
is a survival instinct. Fear is a gift
of our Creator. Only a fool is never
afraid. So fear plays a positive role in
our lives. There are times we should be
afraid and react accordingly.
But sometimes we fear things that
aren’t a threat to our lives or welfare; we turn away or flee or hang back for
no good reason. Psychology recommends
that confronting our fears is the best way to conquer and get past them. If it’s public speaking, practice it, if its
fear of heights, get on an outside elevator, if its fear of dogs, get a puppy.
Fear and courage is something the
ancient philosophers pondered about. The
5th century Greek philosopher Plato identified wisdom with one’s mind and
courage with one’s heart. The value of
courage was revered. You may not be as
large as a lion, but you can possess the courage of a lion. In The Wizard of Oz one of Dorothy’s
companions is a cowardly lion who desperately desires courage. The wizard pretends to give courage to him, but
the irony is that he possessed it all along.
The wizard helped the lion find what was inside him all the time. I believe God does implant courage in our
hearts, that is part of what it means to be made in God’s image, but I also believe
we must pray to God for courage in certain situations. And speaking personally I know God will grant
it when you need it.
According to scripture, the
antidote to fear is courage. What is
courage? The ability to act or do
something in spite of being afraid. The
ability and willingness to face or confront that which frightens you. Though frightened, rather than being
paralyzed, you find the courage to act.
Fears can be real or imagined. Common fears are fear of the unknown, the
fear of uncertainty, the fear of violence, the fear of dying and the fear of
death. Yes, life is no place for
cowards. A life well lived requires key
virtues: wisdom, kindness, self-control, and courage.
We think of physical courage, like
the courage to rescue someone from a burning car or house or to rescue someone
who is drowning. We think of moral
courage like the courage to speak up for what is right despite criticism and
opposition, to speak the truth when others are silent, to take a stand, when
others shy away. And then there is
spiritual courage. To courage to believe
and trust in God, even when things are collapsing around you. The courage to trust in God's love and mercy,
amidst disappointment and loss. The
courage to doubt your doubts and to believe even with unanswered questions. Yes, courage is an essential quality for life.
In our O.T. Lesson we learn that
the great prophet Moses, who by the power of God had led the Israelites out of Egypt , has died. After wandering around in the wilderness of
Sinai for 40 years, the people are poised to enter the promised land. The Lord decides to call a successor.
God calls Joshua. Joshua is overcome with fear at taking on
such a daunting task. Who wants to
follow in the footsteps of the great Moses?
Seeing the fear in Joshua's heart,
the Lord speaks to Joshua: “My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan
Did people in Jesus day have to
deal with fear in their lives? Of course. Jesus knew this and spoke directly to them. We read many stories where Jesus said to his
followers: “Do not be afraid” or “fear not.” In fact, those words occur in the entire
bible 365 times. God knows that we must
learn to face and conquer our fears, if we are going to be able to lead full
lives and obey his call upon our lives.
Who comes to mind when you think
of courageous people? I think of the men
and women of our military who put themselves in harm's way and police and
firefighters and lifeguards who put their lives on the line every day for you
and me.
I also think of Rev. Sarah
Stephens, a Presbyterian Pastor, who graduated from Princeton
seminary 10 years after I did. She has spent the last three decades of ministry
on three continents. God didn’t call her
into parish ministry, which can be dangerous enough, but into the arena of
human rights advocacy, with an emphasis on combating human trafficking. She was hired by the International Catholic
Migration Commission, and was assigned to Macedonia ,
Albania
and Kosovo. She learned about the scale
of human trafficking in the region. She
worked to create shelters and other social services for survivors of
trafficking and to address legal and economic issues affecting them. She often put herself in harm’s way.
She said: “We worked with many wonderful Albanian
colleagues to reduce human trafficking and reduce stigmatizing those who were
trafficked. We were able to educate people and governments that exploitation
includes not just women, but men and children.”
There are times when out of
obedience and love for Jesus, you must find courage, the courage to speak up
for Jesus, for your faith, to let others know you are a follower of Jesus, that
you are doing something because you are a Christian and Jesus is the Lord of
your life. The courage to say something
rather than being silent, to intervene in someone's life, to be frank and
honest with someone. Saying to a friend,
or family member: “I must tell you that I think you are making a major
mistake. I think you are on the wrong
path. I know this may upset or offend you.
I have to be honest with you, because I care about you and value our
friendship.”
I like what a preacher said to
one of his members: A young man had gone bankrupt due to a failed business
venture. He told this preacher he had
lost everything. The preacher replied: “Let
me correct you. You haven't lost
everything. You had something before you
had a business. You had a dream and you
had the nerve to try to make it happen. You
haven't lost that. Nobody ever loses
courage. Courage isn't something you
lose because courage is always an option.
Courage is a choice. And by God's
grace, it is always there for you to choose.
My friend, God wants you to choose courag. Will you choose it?”
I believe the story of Joshua
inspires us when we face times of fear. It
tells us that God is present with us, that God goes with us, when we are called
to take on some project or task or mission or assignment. God says to us: “Be strong and courageous,
do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever
you go.” This is God’s promise to
you and to me.
Pray for boldness. Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is acting, doing something, despite
being afraid out of love: your love God, your love for some person, your love
for the truth. Following Jesus requires
courage and courage comes from trusting in Him.
Scripture says: “For God did
not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of courage, of love and of self-discipline.” Amen!
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