So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him,
“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth,
and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31&32 (ESV)
This verse is well-known for the phrase that the truth will free us—but from what? One of our greatest tyrants is FEAR and if you are like me, you long to be set free from its powerful grip.
When does fear show up for you? Does it appear when you are faced with a daunting challenge? When you feel your safety is compromised? When you are left alone to deal with your problems? When you are shaken up by a bad dream?
The author of the book, The Indigo Girl, shares a dramatic response to fear when her main character—a woman named Eliza Lucas—wakes up from a particularly frightening nightmare. Here is how the author, Natasha Boyd, captures in writing the experience of fear:
“I lay in cold, dark paralyzing fear. Sweat was icy against my skin. The weight of the fear upon my chest was so heavy, it was almost impossible to breathe. I threw back the covers, forcing the panicky feeling off my chest. I imagined it dropping to the ground in a greasy thud, writhing around and disintegrating without a host from which to suck sustenance.” (p. 115)
On many occasions throughout my life I have let untruths and faithlessness rule. My “almosts and could haves” rest quite sturdily on my own shoulders. When I “almost abided” or “could have abided” I chose to bail out on God instead.
Did you notice Eliza’s reaction to fear? Did you notice that when Eliza refused to let fear suck the life from her, it left her alone? Have you also noticed the opposite experience within yourself? Once you were truly afraid, didn’t it grow ever more powerful—creating tremendous anxiety—even causing you to be paralyzed to think or act?
Giving into fear is a dead-end waste of time for a believer. Let’s covenant together to trust deeper and persevere longer in a more determined manner. Let’s choose to let this truth set us free from fear. I will, if you will! Will you?