“Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).
I had an unhealthy fear of law enforcement when I was starting to drive as a teenager. Even though I knew that police officers were there to help, I couldn’t shake the fear that they could pull me over at any time.
One day I realized how unhealthy my fear had become. I was driving along a two-lane country highway. A car was approaching me from the opposite direction. When the vehicle was close enough for me to see the other driver’s eyes, I realized that the other driver was a police officer. My automatic response was to slam on the brakes for fear that I was speeding (even though I wasn’t). Thankfully I didn’t lose control of the vehicle. But because of my suspicious driving maneuver, I did get pulled over.
What are some of your unhealthy fears? What has been consuming your attention to an unhealthy degree? Go ahead and think back to last week. What were some things that you were worried about? Did your fear fix any problems? Did it make you a better person to be around? Did your worries reveal a proper faith in Jesus?
It’s no wonder that the Bible is filled with hundreds of commands and encouragements to “fear not.” Today, start making a list of your unhealthy fears. Then you will see how a healthy fear of God puts to death every unhealthy fear.
