FEAR

“Remember FEAR is actually...FALSE~ EVIDENCE~ APPEARING~ REAL.” This is what I just read in a Christian newsletter. Some folks are acronym happy! It seems if one could make an acronym out of whatever the situation is then it puts the problem in a cute, little, neat box where things cannot possibly unravel or get out of control. Truly, acronyms are a form of needing to be in control of even the tiniest of problems.

Some of the popular Christian acronyms are BIG: Bold in God!, CEO: Christians Encouraging Others, EGO: Edging God Out, JAGUAR: Jesus Always Guides Us and Redeems, HOPE: He Offers Peace Everyday, JOY: Jesus Overshadows You, PRAY: Praise. Repent. Ask. Yield., WASTE: Worry. Anger. Self-Pity. Tattling. Envy., LICE: Life in Christ Eternal, and the ever-popular WWJD (which is another post in itself). The list could go on and on.

This post really is not about acronyms. I just couldn’t resist typing all that silliness. Moving on to my point.

Is fear really ‘false evidence appearing real’? The dictionary had multiple definitions but the two that stuck out were ‘a feeling of agitation and anxiety caused by the presence or imminence of danger’ and an ‘extreme reverence or awe, as toward a supreme power’. From this I read that ‘fear’ is a real thing not the imagination that can be directed towards situations in life or of God.

I have a fear of standing on the freeway. My fear is real. I probably could get hurt very badly. That very real fear is what keeps me from playing on the freeways!! If I hear of the pit-bull living two doors away has attacked a little child then I would probably have a real fear of seeing that dog. If my child’s daycare told me about another child that contracted meningitis, I would have a healthy and honest fear about taking my child back to daycare or a general fear wondering if my child also caught something and would be in great danger.

Fear is a healthy emotion I believe that God instilled in us as prevention. In the bible, we are told to fear God. The word is used 400 times in the Bible to be exact. Peter was speaking of being obedient to civil authority when he said, ‘Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.’(1Peter 2:17) The Greek definition for fear includes to fear, be afraid, to be struck with fear, to be seized with alarm, of those struck with amazement, be afraid of one, to fear (i.e. hesitate) to do something (for fear of harm), to reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience, etc.

To have a reverential fear towards God is biblical. Where we tend to have a leaning with this sort of teaching about fear being ‘false evidence appearing real’ is when one wants to make God their friend. If fear towards God were false evidence only appearing to be real then it would also negate the realness and seriousness of God almighty being final judge. It sugar coats the gospel and waters down the concept of repentance for salvation. It teaches us that we can allow God to become our savior instead of our Savior allowing us into his might presence through his shed blood on the cross. Ultimately, statements like this about fear are the need to put the power in our hands and rip it away from Gods.

Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. ~ Revelations 14:7