First Baptist Church of Herndon

Tug of War

Linda Soller | Apr 11, 2016

If you asked anyone who knew him they would tell you he was the epitome of a good Christian man. He was kind, caring, hardworking, and looked out for others. He had been a Deacon in his church, taught Sunday School, served on committees, and attended regularly. He was a great listener. If you needed advice or just needed to talk he was your man. The community enjoyed his gifts as much as his church enjoyed his gifts. For years he had coached little league teams, shoveled his neighbors walks, and openly praised God for his happy full life. He could boost your faith in one conversation. Yet here he sat, alone at his kitchen table, cradling a third cup of coffee in his hands. When he got the call from the doctor he was stunned. How could someone so happy, who took care of their health, find themselves in this situation? He wasted no time asking God why? As the days passed fear crept in. He seldom dealt with fear, his faith had always won out. He was treading on unfamiliar ground, one day confident in the faith that had served him so well for so long, and the next trembling in fear. The only certainty was his desire to stay alive. He had never feared death. His faith had told him it was not a thing to be feared. Yet now, with the diagnosis confirmed, he was clearly experiencing fear. One moment he remembered all the times he had told others to be strong during times like these, the next moment his own words fell on deaf ears. He was in the middle of the tug of war between fear and faith. Could this really be happening to him?

One of my favorite songs from Tracy Lawrence’s album, “The Rock”, speaks to this tug of war.  He sings of living day to day in a tug of war of fear and faith. Let’s face it, we are human. We can only impact life so much. Some things are out of our control. To say we are not ever fearful is just denial. I think we all have fear, even when we have strong faith. Experiencing fear does not diminish our faith. God understands our human nature and He is there to help us manage our fear. Even Jesus’ disciples exhibited fear, denying knowledge of Jesus, and hiding for fear they would be next to die. It took the resurrection to strengthen their faith and send them out into the world to proclaim the Good News. This renewal did not make all things sunshine and roses, but their faith gave them strength.

All He asks us to do is live day to day in the tug of war of fear and faith, to remain faithful, and He will be there with us. 

Have a great week!    :o)  Linda