Fear

There are all kinds of things out there that make people afraid.  Some of those things are dogs, mice, snakes, heights, the unknown, the dark, taxes, and that thing you are thinking about that I did not mention.  Those things scare us because we envision them hurting us.  We steer clear of them at all cost.  We even feel anxious at the mere mentioning of their names.

Fear, however, is not always about being afraid, about something hurting you, or about total avoidance of that thing.  I remember when I was a little boy living next door to my grandmother and this yardstick she kept over the door facing.  I cannot remember even one time her raising her voice at me; much less her ever whipping me with that yard stick.  I do remember her looking above her door facing a few times at that yardstick.  That look meant a lot, even though I don’t remember her ever using it.  Did I fear my grandmother?  YEP!  But I was never afraid that she was out to hurt me nor did I ever try to avoid her even when I was in trouble.  

 

She demonstrated love for me in such a manner that it made me respect her.  Her love and presence made me want to please her and do the right things in my life so she would be proud of me.  Did I ever get in trouble at her house?  I am sure I did, but the thing I remember the most is her love; and her bread pudding, of course.

Proverbs 1:7 (NLT) Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

 Try this definition of fear on for size when you think about God.  FEAR of the LORD: “I RESPECT God so much that I want to always do what is RIGHT and PLEASING in His sight.  It draws me NEARER to Him!”

What causes you to be afraid?  Many people avoid church out of fear of the unknown.  Many people have never really given God a chance in their lives.  They are afraid of what will happen or what they will have to change.  The question is do you have a proper fear of God?  How is that fear being rightly demonstrated?  What areas of life do you need to fear God more?  What areas of life do you need to relinquish control over to the heavenly Father who loves you more than you can ever imagine?

In Christ Alone and continuing in prayer,

Chad Hensley, (Senior Pastor; HGBC)

Wish

When I was a little boy I thought if I held my breath while I was going over a bridge, such as the Evansville-Henderson Bridge, I could wish for something and get it.  My dad would inevitably drive slower and slower over that bridge while my face turned redder and redder.  I was very determined to accomplish the task and get my wish.  Now that I think about it; I never did get that pony that I always wished for while holding my breath across that bridge.  I wonder if that is where we get the phrase, “Don’t hold your breath.”



All too often we see praying to God in the same manner.  Prayer seems to be the task that when completed we get what we want.  It’s like the idea of a lucky charm or wishing upon a star; if you say the right words, then it will come true.  Others are looking for that genie in the bottle that will bring about our every wish or command upon a moment’s notice.  All you have to do is rub the bottle (task), and you will get what you want.

But God is not a lucky charm or a genie in a bottle that we tell what to do and he must do it.  Prayer is not a task and it is not ‘command’ central to God.  Prayer is our lifeline with God.  Often our expectations are for God to give us everything we want and precisely when we want it.  If we have said the right words, then it must come true.  We act as though we are his superior and he is our inferior.  We act as though God's job is to meet our every demand or we will get mad at him.  If I don’t get what I want then I will not come to church or I will withhold my tithes or I will stop talking to him for a while. 

James 4:3 (NLT) And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

We need our lifeline.  We need God.  Ask God to help you have the right motives in your life of prayer.  Ask God for his purpose and his pleasure to be done in your life.  Ask God to help you always see him as the superior in your relationship with him.  Ask God for forgiveness if you have treated him in a wrong way or with wrong motives.

 

In Christ Alone and continuing in prayer,

Chad