Present Fear: Future Fear
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world–our faith. 1 John 5:4
My husband likes to say, “I am not afraid of dying, I just don’t want to be there when it happens.”
As I have been reading article after article about what is happening in our nation, I feel much the same way. I don’t fear the victory, I fear the process of getting there.
The articles are on a range of issues, including the refugee crisis, President Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court, the slow elimination of cash in the world, and the “Fire Breathing Christian’s” article on Christian acceptance of socialism.
It is downright scary how unbiblical we are as a nation. However, I know that we are being prepared for a new (to us) way of doing things. God is at work revealing our idols; our money, our educational system, our state welfare programs, our claim on our land (as if it is not God’s first), and many other things that put Him and His Law out of the picture.
My problem (and I think there are others who feel this way), is that I am afraid. I am afraid for the future of our nation, I am afraid of what will be left for my grandchildren, and, quite frankly, I am afraid of how uncomfortable I will be as we go through these changes.
My fear is sinful because God is clearly at work.
God is showing us the long term harm of putting our faith in the state to educate our children and take care of the needy in our midst. We have slowly but surely left our responsibility to give to those who do not have and care for the widows and orphans. We are more likely to hear about the needs of a foreign nation than we are of our immediate neighbors. No worries, they live in America where the government will take care of them.
As Christians, this is to our (my) shame. As we study the Word of God, He clearly assigns these issues to the family (Deuteronomy 6: 7, Matthew 25:34-40, Mark 7:6-13) and then to the church.
As I cower in fear, afraid to speak up or act, people are being lost in a world of welfare that has no real concern for the individual. They do not need God as their provider, they have food stamps!
As I was reading today, it was apparent: we have work to do. Change is coming and people are going to need the hope that comes only from faith in the One True God, not any government or social welfare system.
I look forward to the changes God will make. I do not look forward to the battles we face for what is good and right, according to the law of God. The battle is necessary. God will not leave us nor forsake us through it. In fact, He promises we will be victorious, we just do not know when that victory will come.
In spite of our fear, are we willing to trust His plan? It appears that He has decided it will be our generation who will live through this.
As the blessing in death is on the other side of the pain, so is the blessing (and the victory) of the battle. Will we fight?