First Baptist Church of Herndon

How scary is that?

Linda Soller | Oct 28, 2013

For the month of October the Drop In Class has been discussing things that scare us. With Halloween approaching we find ourselves thinking about ghosts and goblins and children trick or treating in their costumes. Unlike children who own up to their fears of the dark, of what might be hiding under the bed, or things that go bump in the night for the most part we adults don’t really talk about our fears. In part I think we feel like we’re supposed to grow out of our fears, but I also think it has something to do with what we fear.

If we visit the mind of a child it’s pretty easy to see how fearful they can be because there’s still so much they don’t understand. A favorite story of mine is of the mother who came home to find her child sitting on the back steps outside of the house in the dark. When she asked why, the child explained that it was too scary in the house. To me the possibilities of what could happen outside in the dark are far scarier than being inside with lights on and doors locked. But to the child who had a vivid imagination there was something much more threatening about the possibilities of what could hide in that house, in closests, under beds, and behind furniture.

Part of growing up is having grownup fears.  We find ourselves fearing responsibility, fearing the impact of change on our lives, fearing failure, fearing commitment, and even fearing the forces of nature. Worst of all is when our fears collide. You can see it on the news as they interview a person who just lost their home to a fire or a flood and who isn’t sure if all of their family members are safe. The sadness and fear in their face can break your heart. Just like a child thinks it’ll be great to be a grownup, there are many grownups who wish they could be kids again, who wish the worst thing they had to fear was a bump in the night.

In the Bible we read of floods, of earthquakes, of reluctant leaders, of the scary deep waters, of ferocious lions, and famine. Dealing with grownup fear is nothing new. There is strength in faith. The things we fear do not magically go away when we believe, but we have God to help us face those fears. The forces of nature are just that, nature doing its thing. We can’t really control them, but we can try not to contribute to them or be foolish and underestimate their power. Personally I think no matter how strong your faith you will still experience fear, but it’ll be tempered by your knowledge of God’s love and promise.

Last week a child pulled an automatic gun on his classmates. A brave math teacher stepped between the shooter and a fearful young man and lost his life. How scary was that for the teacher and the boy he protected? My guess is that it was so scary that in that fleeting moment life seemed to stand still, but the teacher knowing he was doing what had to be done to try and end the violence responded without fear. I think of the child who had access to such a weapon and have to ask, how scary is that?

Don’t let fear rule your life. Let your faith give you strength. Be prayerful for the brave people of our world and for the lives saved because they acted without fear.

Have a great week :o) Linda