Greetings Dear Reader,
I have maintained for most of my adult life that sin is almost always the result of fear. Some with who I verbally joust have said that it is more likely selfishness. My response is usually that selfishness is an outpouring of the fear of not having or losing something. I know that is how it works in me. Over the past few months I have been pondering the juxtaposition of fear and faith.
If I act out of fear I am not exercising faith. That which I fear is not part of my relationship to following Christ. If I fear losing out on an opportunity and try to manipulate the situation then I am rejecting my faith that God has things in control. If I withhold love and kindness from someone for fear I will be hurt then I am not showing faith that God knows what he is doing when he commands me to treat others with love and kindness. When I refuse to forgive I am indulging my fear at being hurt by holding onto selfishness and anger. God wants me to forgive and trust that he holds justice and grace in balance for a reason.
Faith means that I always trust that God is in control. I truly control nothing except my response to opportunities to have faith. The only thing I have absolute power over is my response to faith and fear. I can claim to have no control. I can claim to just be reacting. In truth I always have a choice. I always determine my response; sometimes ahead of time and sometimes in the moment. My patterns of faith and fear lay the track for my reactions in the heat of a moment.
How I think about what God has to say about forgiveness, anger, and love will contribute to my faith and fear responses. If I refuse to restore a relationship that is broken, then I am not trusting God to protect me or care for me. If I choose to live by faith instead of fear I will get hurt. There is no way to avoid harm if I follow Christ, but I can have faith that it is for the greater good. That said it means that no matter the cost, I have some things to mend. It will be painful but I must do it.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a home owner. He brings new and old things out of his treasure store."
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