Fear IS deception. That’s what some people believe. And for different reasons. But, for the most part, this reasons are wrong.
Because fear is not deception.
And if you believe you’re fearless, then you haven’t seen all the information.
Fear IS an option. And the right kind of fear should generate the right option.
I’m gonna share a story with you, that I shared 10 years ago. A story about someone who had fear as an option, but chose not to give in to it.
Imagine you’re a nice-looking young woman and you’ve just gotten off work at your late-night job. You go outside to your car and find a blizzard waiting for you. You’re already tired from 9 hours on your feet, serving belligerent patrons. And now you have a 40 mile drive in a blinding blizzard to look forward to. But that’s not all.
Then, you find out the canyon road you typically drive is blocked off by a car accident. So, you’re left with two other options. One takes you over a route higher in the mountains where you know it’s gonna be slick and treacherous. The other route is mostly downhill, through another canyon. But you’ve never driven home that way. Which route would you take?
Well, this woman chose the downhill, winding, canyon road. She was terrified of the circumstances. But she knew she had to get home to her family. So, she started her drive down the dark, snowy, slick road. Her hands practically squeezed imprints into the steering wheel.
She tossed up a desperate prayer,
“God, please don’t let me slide off into the ditch or the creek. Please help me to make it home.”
The visibility was barely 10 feet in front of the headlights. And they began to dim from layers of freezing snow. Every so often the tires would slide a little bit. And each time the young woman’s whole body jerked as she gasped and panicked a little. But she kept gently easing the car forward, careful to look for the white and yellow lines in the road. And they didn’t appear often enough for her liking.
This drive, which would normally take about thirty minutes, ended up taking two hours. And by the time the exhausted young woman reached the end of the canyon and turned onto the highway, she could hardly breathe. But she’d made it through the worst. At least that’s what she thought.
To her dismay, the well-lit highway was covered in about 4 or 5 inches of snow. And it too was dangerously slick. And now she had to deal with multiple other “crazies” who didn’t seem to slow down for the conditions at all. She still had 15 miles to go.
As she slogged along at only about 20 miles an hour, other cars whizzed by and flopped magnesium chloride-filled slush all over her windshield. But now she was determined and undaunted.
She vowed to make it home no matter what.
She did. But her accomplishment wasn’t achieved as a result of the absence of fear. It came about as a result of her not giving into the fear. You can say fear is deception all you want. But she knew, without a doubt, fear IS an option.
And because it is, we can have heroes. But even more important than that, it should highlight your need for a living, loving Savior who wants you to have everlasting Life. This life isn’t going to last forever. But this life isn’t all you’ll have if you trust Jesus. I hope you will.
You may have a blizzard going on in your life right now. And you may be tempted to give up and give in to fear of the unknown. I urge you to resist that temptation and instead hold onto the promise that God gave you a “spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Then, the only fear you’ll encounter is the fear of the Lord.
And that’s the beginning of wisdom.
That won’t magically make the “blizzard” go away. But it WILL give you the courage and strength to keep driving toward home.
The keys are in your hand. It’s up to you. Ready to drive toward home?
Take a second and join the growing body of believers who’ve already signed up for the FunderFlash Journal. When you do, I’ll send you some music and a book for kids right away. Then, I’ll send you daily flashes of light from the faith, hope, and the power of God’s love.
Stay tuned…
