Living Faith in a Fearful World

I believe that Jesus is calling us to a fearless life, which is certainly a high standard, but it is entirely possible through the spiritual resources that He has made available to us.  He taught in Matthew 6:
25"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?26Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
He continues to teach and give perspective on trusting God as our provider, and He offers this incredible summary in verse 33:33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

In an age where anxiety is a prevalent emotion, we can project peace.  When we are tempted to be fearful about so many events that we learn about, we can communicate hope in the Lord.  Our distinctive emotions when confronted by worry-producing factors can provide us with the opportunity to radiate the character of Christ.  In the midst of the turbulence of life, God is calling us to rely on His stability.

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The word from the Lord through the prophet Isaiah is clear and helpful for us in our culture today.  In Isaiah 41:10, we read:
10Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

One of my favorite columnists, Matt Lewis, wrote a piece in response to the Ebola crisis in Africa on The Week website.  He stated that, "The panic surrounding the Ebola epidemic seems tailor-made for the times we live in, reinforcing the fears and paranoia driving America's quasi-apocalyptic political mood. Our leaders seem adrift, our media a cabal of fear-mongers, and our lives digitized and isolated. Is it any wonder we panic so easily?"

He said that, "We are not a content country," and referred to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC poll. The Yahoo! Finance section reported on that poll, and in the first sentence, its says that, "...Americans are registering record levels of anxiety about the opportunities available to younger generations and are pessimistic about the nation's long-term prospects, directing their blame at elected leaders in Washington." Lewis poses the question, "Is it any wonder that when we hear reports of Ebola, we get so worried?"

The survey found that despite the steady pace of hiring in recent months, 76% of adults lack confidence that their children's generation will have a better life than they do—an all-time high. Some 71% of adults think the country is on the wrong track, a leap of 8 points from a June survey, and 60% believe the U.S. is in a state of decline.

What's more, seven in 10 adults blamed the malaise more on Washington leaders than on any deeper economic trends, and 79% expressed some level of dissatisfaction with the American political system.

"The American public is telling its elected representatives that the economic distress that a significant proportion of them are feeling is directly their fault," said Democratic pollster Fred Yang, who conducts the Journal poll with Republican Bill McInturff. "The public seems to have moved beyond the plaintive cry of 'feel our pain' to the more angry pronouncement of 'you are causing our pain.' "

The survey found that half of those polled said the economy is improving, and 49% think the U.S. is still in a recession, down from 58% last summer and 77% in 2008.

Sixty-four percent of those polled said they are still feeling some impact from the recession, down from the 71% who said they initially felt effects from the downturn when it began more than six years ago. Forty percent said someone in their household had lost a job over the last five years, and one of three said someone they live with was forced to take a job with a significantly lower income.

During the concluding portion of his column, Lewis writes, "Is it possible the news is getting to us? Today, we are more likely than ever to have our fears stoked by a national media that wants clicks and ratings. There is an incentive to overplay rumors, sickness, death, and the dark side of humanity. If it bleeds, it leads."

"In our atomized society — where people who are disconnected from friends and family and institutions (church attendance, belonging to a club, etc.), and instead have "virtual" friends and experiences and consume copious amounts of media without the check of walking outside and seeing that nothing much has changed in their own small town, we are more likely to go further and further down the rabbit hole."

You know, there is a better way, and people who claim to follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus and who have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them have the opportunity to point to that better way of life - the way of abundant life in Him.   I think Lewis is right that there is a wave of fear and discontent in our country.  

People are anxious about a host of issues - whether it be the economy, which many see as still being in a recession, or the fear of disaster coming on the earth, i.e. the spread of Ebola, or the cloud of conflict in many areas of the world.   

In this highly digital age where we are connected to mass quantities of information but not as connected to the people and institutions around us, as Lewis contends, it's critical that we allow our relationship with God and with his people, the church, to act as a counterbalance to our artificial consumption.   We must make sure that we are allowing God's Word to shape our thoughts and responses, and not the words and pictures on a screen.

We are living in times that could breed fear, and we recognize the teachings of Jesus, that we are not to develop anxiety about our resources.   He calls us to seek first the kingdom and trust Him, to recognize God as our provider.   Throughout the Scriptures, God calls us to walk in a manner that is free from fear - which is a posture that is only possible by His Spirit.

Finally, we can see that our attitude in the middle of fearful times can provide us with the open doors to demonstrate hope.  If our conversations and our approach to the culture merely blend in, instead of reflecting a distinctive nature, then we miss out on reflecting the life of God in us.  We can depend on the Lord to give us peace and hope in perilous times.