I wrote this story in early 2006, having just returned from leading a team into Pakistan for earthquake relief work. I was in the process of preparing to return with a second team when this happened.
“Anti-U.S. Rally attracts 10,000 in Pakistan city”
So read the headline of the newspaper my wife handed me while saying, “I know you are going back. Do I need to worry about this?”
I read the story and noticed several things. The ten thousand people who demonstrated did so in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city. Ten thousand people, out of more than 13 million, who saw the need to protest. This is insignificant! Only .07% of the population of Karachi saw the need to shout “Death to America” and burn an American flag. Is that something we need fear? The article continued, “Hundreds also rallied in Islamabad, Lahore, Multan and Peshawar.” The combined populations of Islamabad, Lahore, Multan and Peshawar approaches 7 million, yet, only “hundreds” saw the need to protest. Again, this is insignificant!
My wife and I talked about these things and I assured her that I would never knowingly do something stupid. I told her that I knew to avoid large crowds and if something “big” happens to stay inside. We reminded ourselves that God has called us to the “hard” places and that one of the greatest tools the evil one would continually use to keep us from invading his territory is fear. We saw through the newspaper article for what it truly was, an attempt to instill fear in the hearts of those who have the Truth. We hugged, thanked God for calling us to the “hard” places and went on with life.
I have decided to share this little vignette of our life because I want to take on this “spirit of fear” that seems to permeate our culture, especially that of the local church. I think this spirit of fear paralyzes so many of us. The newspapers we read and the Fox News and CNN we watch and the “talking heads” we listen to on the radio and TV talk shows have influenced us. Influenced us to the point of being too afraid of doing what we know God has called us to do. Influenced us to the point of being disobedient. This is sad. This is wrong. This is sin.
I once had a man walk up to me after asking a church body for volunteers to go to Pakistan. Our conversation went something like this:
“Are you sure you want to go there?”
“Why not,” I answered.
“Well, isn’t it dangerous?”
“Maybe. Does that mean they don’t deserve to hear about the new life Jesus has offered them,” I replied.
“No, I guess it doesn’t.”
“Then I’m sure I want to go.”
As the man walked off, I heard him muttering under his breath something about “those …. Muslims…..”
This is just one example of many I have experienced over the past few years. It seems to be getting worse.
Thinking about these things over the past few days, I am reminded of the time when Jesus calmed the storm. You remember how it goes. Jesus got into a boat and He and His disciples began to cross the lake. Jesus falls asleep and a “furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.” The disciples were afraid and awoke Jesus saying to Him, “Teacher, don’t You care if we drown?” Jesus “got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to His disciples, ‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’” (Mark 4:35-41)
Did you catch that? Jesus equated His disciple’s fear with a lack of faith. The disciple’s fear of a situation in which they had no control was called a lack of faith. Is there any difference between the disciple’s fear and our fear of Muslims, or terrorists or of unknown cultures or whatever it is we fear? I do not see it.
Fear is the absence of faith, faith in The Almighty God, Who is never surprised or caught off guard. Fear does not come from the Father; “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear…” (2 Timothy 1:7) Fear is a tool of the enemy, plain and simple.
There is a good fear. It is a healthy fear of the Lord. “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28) This is the fear we should pursue. This is the fear we should embrace, a fear of being disobedient to the call and command to take the Gospel of the Kingdom to those who have never heard. This is the fear that controls and drives my life. This is the fear that has resulted in a true peace that transcends all understanding about going to the “hard” places.
I will go because I have been called and commanded. Nothing else matters. I will be obedient. Fear must not stand in the way. I must not submit to a spirit of fear. I must submit to my King Jesus. Anything else is sin.
Until ALL Have Heard,
EG
