February 9 - When Fear Is Not A Factor

When Fear Is Not A Factor

”There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.” 1 John 4:18

With the 2014 Winter Olympics at full speed, so begins the challenge of keeping America’s interest in these “Frostbitten Festivities.”  You see, for the most part, the people of Sochi, Austria, Iceland, and the Antarctica have anticipated these toe-numbing and spine tingling spectaculars since the 2010 Games went off the air.

However, that’s not necessarily so with parts of America and especially from SoCal.  We are cut out of a different swath.  Our idea of cold weather is clouds and a Santa Ana wind.  With all the Winter “Citius, Altius, Fortius” (Higher, Stronger, Faster)…we’d just as soon have Summer “Surfus, Sunnus, and Shinus” (no translation necessary).

But one thing is for sure…whether you are a fan of the Games or not, these athletes are fearless.  The Winter Olympics are Fear Factor meets the circus trapeze and that has often been enough to overcome the apathy barrier.  While the Summer Olympics always has it share of hamstring pulls and pummel horse falls, at the Winter Olympics, we’re talking bullet train rides, high flying stunts, and crashes that make your head spin.

The Winter Olympics is about three main things…speed, speed, and speed.  When you consider events such as downhill skiing, these racers are moving at a clip of up to 90 miles per hour.  Many people are afraid to do that in their cars on an open highway, let alone a hard-packed sheet of ice that can instantaneously put them in the E.R. (and not the old George Clooney kind).

To boot, Sports Illustrated revealed that from 1975 to date, every American skier who medaled at the Olympics (with one exception) has torn the critical ACL (anterior cruciate ligament).  Fear strikes in many ways.  Sometimes they pertain to a “phobia” (New Testament word for “fear”) such as heights (acrophobia), close places (claustrophobia), and water (hydrophobia).  Other times they might involved giants that we face in a relationship, a physical challenge, financial difficulty, or a child that is walking through a hard season.  Whatever the cases, they can be handled with courage because we know we never handle them alone. 

I can’t help but believe that all God’s people in the Hebrews Hall of Faith had a little bit of “Thrill Seeker” in them.

-Joshua and Caleb were not concerned about their giants because they knew that God was great.  (Numbers 13:36-14:9)

-David entered his own brand of games when he took on Goliath, experiencing a “Gold Medal” round in slinging and sword-wielding. (1 Samuel 17:32-58)

-An aging Apostle John wrote in 1 John 4:18, “There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.”

Did you catch that?  Fear is crippling (and might even cause an ACL tear), but a love for God banishes it.  There are no greater fears than death and judgment, but in Christ, it turns a mountain into a molehill.  Now I can sure get into that.

Terry Risser

Reflections:

1)   What is your greatest fear and anxiety as of today?

2)   Take time to turn your focus on a love for Christ and see if He doesn’t build your faith over fear.

 Consider reading the Word today:

Copyright 2014 - Terry Risser