Driving Fear
Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” Matthew 8:23-27
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7
INSIGHT
Amid the uncertainty, we often second guess and doubt God has our best interest at heart. Just like the disciples caught in the storm, we picture an indifferent God. We reason He has little concern for the circumstances we face. Worry forces us to drift towards questioning God and wondering if He cares.
Worry produces uncertainty in a mind that has no better alternative. It takes root in faulty thinking. If we allow our minds to focus on the world, we will look around, and fear will take over. Worry will take root, and faith will lose out. When we are afraid, we accuse God of being indifferent: Can't you see what is happening? Do you not care?
Those same questions run through the minds of the disciples in today's reading. Looking around, they are afraid. Their circumstances are stealing their peace and hijacking their faith. They start to freak out.
Yet, they’re about to have an encounter that alters their perspective on their circumstances. Take a moment and reread the passage slowly. Get a picture of this scene in your mind. Jesus gets up startled from awakening but even more so by their question. "Do I care? You are wondering if I care?"
He pauses to calm the storm before He addresses them. "Hold on one second; let me get these gale-force winds to chill out and the raging sea to quiet down so we can talk."
His question exposes their hearts. "Why are you afraid? Do you have no faith?"
Do you notice the connection between fear and the absence of faith? Jesus reminds us that if He is with us, no one can be against us. He invites us to trust that our lives hold value and our circumstances have a purpose.
Worrying chokes out the fruitful work of God in our lives. Our need to control our circumstances prevents us from letting go of our worries and concerns. Worrying highlights one's perspective by revealing his or her picture of God. When our concerns convert over to worry, we develop an attitude that causes one to function as though God does not exist.
We're often unaware of how fear shapes our response to the world around us. Fear forces, compares, and undermines. It is quick-tempered, easily offended, resists the truth, and chronically makes its case. If we don't understand and articulate how fear is driving our behavior, we will not change our direction. If love doesn't drive out fear, fear will drive everything else.
Worry, concern, anxiety, fright, and panic are all different levels of fear, and they all wreak havoc on our walk. The challenge before each one of us is to respond with faith during those moments we have no control over and no knowledge of the end result. God has promised us that He will be with us. The force of Christ's love possesses the power to govern our behavior and direct our lives.
REFLECTION
Where is worry choking out the fruitful work of God in your life? In what situations are you holding on to your worry?
PRAYER
Lord, forgive me for accusing You of not caring. I use my circumstances to justify my response and, as a result, worry rushes in. Lord, I will fix my mind on You and trust that Your peace will guard my heart and mind. All of this is for the sake of Your glory and not my own. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.
