Faith Is Fear - Courage

Freedom From Fear – Comes From Your Faith, Not Your Government

No government can ever guarantee that you or I will have on-going freedom from fear.

AND as the American Founding Fathers well knew, we cannot always assume freedom from fear of our own government.  No government, not even ours, no matter who is leading it, can be trusted with freedom to do just as it wants, when it wants. The Founders built “checks and balances” into the US Constitution for very good reasons.

We can live with an underlying fearlessness – not arrogance, not bullying, but a fearless, calm love of God

Freedom from Fear

FREEDOM FROM FEAR DOES NOT COME FROM HAVING A PERFECT SITUATION …

Political parties, political movements – your neighbors – even your friends and family – can harm you in a variety of ways. It might be accidental; sometimes it is deliberate. Most of us have experienced it at some level or other.

There is no law we can pass, no person we can elect, no agreement we can make that will guarantee that any particular person or group will never turn against us or persecute us or hurt us. So what is a Christian to do in this unpredictable and sometimes very dangerous world?

THE BIBLE DOES NOT AVOID THIS PROBLEM

Jesus’ Disciple Peter Wrote About It

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. (1 Peter 4:19)

The people he was writing to were suffering some serious persecution. Though likely random, and technically illegal, it was happening. Still, Peter’s advice was that they keep their trust focused on the God of grace, and that they keep doing the good Jesus had called them to do – regardless.

Long before Peter, Isaiah wrote,

I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face… I will put my trust in him. (Isaiah 8:17)

We may have to weep over unnecessary damage and loss happening to and around us. Yet we must work …
He knew God might allow his nation to stay on its path of evil practices. He knew that would cause great grief for everyone. But he still would not turn away from his trust in God.

Later, Isaiah makes clear what enormous blessings would come – even at that late date – if the religious and political leaders would honor God’s moral priorities.

If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations. (Isaiah 58:9-12)

This is very hopeful, beautiful! But it may not go that way. We may have to weep over unnecessary damage and loss happening to and around us.

Yet we must work against oppression, malicious talk, hunger, etc. We must love God and love our neighbors as Jesus directs.

Then we can live with – get on with loving God and neighbors with – an underlying freedom from fear – not arrogance, not bullying, but a fearless, calm love of God – while continuing our love for our neighbors – regardless.

we can live with an underlying fearlessness - not arrogance, not bullying, but a fearless, calm love of God - while continuing our love for our neighbors - regardless.Click To Tweet

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See also:
What if We Are Persecuted?!
Short Quotes: Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail

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