When I am afraid ...

All of us are afraid of stuff. Some rational but mostly irrational stuff. Life itself is stressful and fear seems to be one huge contributing factor. So this morning, I want to write about this in my very own layman, non professional understanding on this subject. Some subjects are best left to the experts. But being pastor, I have to deal with just about ... everything! Literally from A to Z. The scary thing is, pastors don't always know lots of stuff. Pastors will do well if they keep to the teaching and preaching of the Word for the simple fact that God's word not only provide the insight and wisdom that we need, it also connect us to God from whence our help comes. But of course the pastor has to be relevant to changing times. That's why constant self learning /teaching/ reading/upgrading  is a very important aspect of a pastor's daily life. Once a teenager asked me what I do daily as a pastor. See, lots of folks think pastors work only on weekends. Rest of week they are "free". That is so far from truth. In response to the teen's question, I spoke briefly of an athlete's life. A golfer for example, don't just work on weekends (tournaments are always held over weekends). If a golfer is not in tournament, the rest of the week is spent in necessary routines which is going to the gym, hitting balls at the driving range, keeping abreast on the latest happenings in the golfing world, etc. for the sake of self improvement and keeping sharp and ready for tournament. So this is what I do apart for the actual work load of managing a church. Enough of digression.

Fear: " ... is a emotion induced by perceived danger or threat, which causes physiological changes, such as fleeing, hiding, or freezing from perceived traumatic events".  That's from Wikipedia. When I taught the teens on this subject two weeks ago, this is what I said about fear.

A.There are two kinds of fear. Founded and unfounded fear. If a tiger suddenly appears in front of you, that is real fear. Unfounded fear on the other hand is something you are afraid of which is of the future. It may or may not happen and often times, it's imaginary, irrational and unfounded. So I met a tiger a year ago and I encountered real fear. A year later, I am still afraid to pass through the same path for fear I may cross path with the tiger yet again. Fact is, it's been a year. The tiger have moved on or died. It hasn't been spotted for a year. It's very unlikely I will have a second encounter with it yet I am afraid. This unfounded fear is but imaginary and irrational. That's how it is with fear. Most of what we are afraid of are unfounded and very likely will not even materialize, yet we are afraid it may happen. It's no wonder Jesus enlightened us to not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will take care of itself. Meaning, our fears are mostly unfounded so don't dwell on it (Read Matthew 6:25-34).

B. How do you response to fear? From the incident of David and Goliath, I told the teens there's two way to respond to fear. Fight or flight. Goliath was a real threat. On a one-on-one fight, none of the Israelite will be able to survive Goliath. So Israel took flight and Goliath taunted them every day for forty days until the shepherd boy David took the challenge to fight Goliath. The rest is history. Some things just won't go away until you fight it. 

C. How do you overcome fear? Shield and sword. In the olden days when battles were fought, a soldier will need a shield and a sword. Without a shield to protect against the arrows and blows of the sword and spear, a soldier may not survive in battle. Not only will the shield provide protection, it helps the soldier to strategically wield his sword to eliminate the threat. When David encountered Goliath that fateful day, instead of having a physical shield, God was his shield. He wasn't afraid of Goliath. Instead of a sword where he will have to get up close to Goliath, he used a sling shot. At a safe distance, he fired the shot and Goliath felled. David was skilled with the sling shot. Skill is something we can acquire if we apply ourselves to it. Together with God as our shield (Psalms 28:7), we have the resource to fight instead of flight. But of course there are times one will have to take flight as a temporary but immediate action but the only way to overcome is still to fight the enemy.

We had a good time in class. We talked about school bullies.I have always enjoyed teaching teens and teaching in small groups. God's word is like a hidden treasure. It's a delight to be able to not just read, but to be able to study and uncover its hidden treasures. God's word is amazing and enlightening. God's word is not meant to be read but to be studied. If you are in the habit of just reading chapters a day, things can get pretty boring and mundane. But when you study it, like food, you will want more. Keep this 2x2x2 lesson in mind. Someday, it may come in handy. God bless.