Fear

I am astonished how often we live our lives and make decisions under fear. 

• We fear what others will think. 
• We fear that we will fail (or make a mistake).
•  We fear consequesnces.
• We fear picking the wrong people for ministry.
• We fear offending someone.
• We fear we will hear from God wrong.
• We fear every bad thing that could happen will happen.
• We even sometimes fear success.

Is that the kind of life and decision-making that we should be living with as Christians?

If Jesus lived out of fear he never would have left the Garden of Gesemane the night he was arrested, or taught forgiveness rather than law, or cleared the temple, or called the men he did to be his disciples, or went into the desert to be tempted, or even left his mother's side. 

Jesus lived his life out of divine appointment and obedience to what God wanted him to do.  With no fear.  I'm sure he didn't look forward to some of the things he had to go through or do, but that never got in the way of obedience. 

There are times that I focus more on these fears than plunging forward into the calling has for me or the church.  As we take the next steps into the ministry God has for us, we do so not out of fear, but in the exciting obedience of living life in God's will.  Let's live this Kingdom life together!