I love that in the Bible it says 'do not be afraid' 366 times...what an encouragement! And thinking about the numbers, that's enough for a reminder once every single day of the year- even on a leap year!
A while ago, I heard someone say: 'Ooooh, that's either odd, or it's God'.
And in this case, I think it is no coincidence that the Bible is full of such repeated encouragement. It speaks to me of God's beautiful kindness and thoughtfulness to us - he's filled his word with these daily reminders, because he knows we need them! He made us. He walks alongside us in life. He can see how bogged down our brains can get with fear and hurt and doubt and discouragement. He knows how scary life can be! There are all sorts of fears in this world that we live in. We can get scared about big things, small things, and everything in between - health, money, jobs, friendships, successes, failures, appearances, grades, world disasters, upcoming events, the dinner burning, the house burning....and that's just the start!
Some fear can help us. It alerts us to things that are important, or things that need to be acted on and changed. However, I do not believe that God has made us to live a life of fear. In a talk I heard by Makoto Fujimura, he put forward the case that everyone is inherently creative, but many people use that creativity to simply become 'artists of anxiety'. I think he's right. Everyday, it's so easy to use our imaginations to create worry. We are made by a creative God, who declares what is made as 'GOOD' (you can find this in the book of Genesis!). So why is it that rather than using the creative energy that now flows from God into us to also create 'good' things, we also let that imagination, that creativity, that potential for good, so often get sucked up into so much stress and worry?!
The picture accompanying this post is of a mural I had the privilege to paint on the front of a school in Tanzania. The school had been built 10 years previously, and I was on a visit to celebrate the 10-year anniversary, while also helping out with new building and repairs that were taking place. I had no idea that I was going to paint this massive mural when I arrived, but the headmaster approached me, and said: 'we hear you like art, so we want you to paint this space, and we want you to do whatever you think God wants you too'. Feeling a little jet-lagged from the journey, I agreed, then realised the next day what a big honour and responsibility it was! Plus...I had absolutely no idea of what I would actually paint. So I sat under a tree for an hour or two and just prayed and asked God for some inspiration. I opened my Bible, and this verse from Joshua that you can see on the final painting popped out to me. As I walked back to the direction of the school, the image of the tree, heart and rainbow all just formed in my head, and the next day I showed the design to the site manager for his opinion. He started jumping up and down and got very excited. Quite incredibly, it turned out that that was the very Bible verse he and his wife had been given when they'd first moved to the area over 10 years ago, with the vision for the school. He told me to start painting right away!
As I was painting the mural, the words really played on my mind.
Don't be afraid. Don't be discouraged. Be strong and brave. The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
When you stop and truly read that, and take into your heart the meaning behind it...it's quite incredible.
So yes: I do not believe that God wants us to live a life of fear.
Fear can be exhausting. It niggles away at your sense of peace and keeps you awake at night and leads you to assume the worst.
But God gets that. So right into our daily fears, big and small, he says: hey there- don't be afraid.
If he stopped at that, we might feel a bit insulted - 'but God, don't just tell me not to be afraid!! I can't help it! Some of this stuff is a lot to deal with right now!'
But that's not the end of the promise. God says- don't be afraid- because I am WITH YOU.
And that, I think, is what can truly bring us freedom. Because when you're scared and alone and feeling overwhelmed, the idea that you simply need to just stop being afraid isn't exactly an effective one, in my experience. However- knowing that God is right there with you, comforting you, assuring you, alongside you, encouraging you....
Now THAT changes everything.
We will always feel fear at times. That's natural. That's human.
But God, the creator of this universe, the one who loves us limitlessly and unconditionally and endlessly and relentlessly, is with us. He knows our fears, and he says that we don't have to get lost and trapped in them.
When I'm afraid or overwhelmed, I have started doing something again that I used to do when I was little: simply saying the name of 'Jesus' out loud. It reminds me of his promises. It reminds me who is really in control. And it reminds me that I am not alone.
And personally...I think that gives me reason to celebrate, not simply just to feel overwhelmed by stress or fear.
Sending love, light, and prayers your way. Don't be afraid! xxx
