Faith Over Fear

Fear is a part of our lives.  There is a healthy fear.  This is the fear that keeps us safe.  It keeps us aware of our surroundings and alert to present dangers.  There is also an unhealthy fear.  This is the fear that paralyzes us and keeps us from moving forward.  If you are in need of a push…just some encouragement to keep trusting and believing God…then Sunday’s sermon was for you.  Every week, God uses my pastor to speak directly to my heart’s issues.  This week we journeyed to Mark 5:21-43.  We are privy to an interaction of faith triumphing over fear.

Jesus is by the sea and has a large crowd gathered around him.  Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue, comes to Jesus.  Not out of mere curiosity.  No, Jairus had a pressing need.  His daughter was deathly ill.  He wanted Jesus to lay his hands on his daughter and heal her.  He wanted his daughter to be made well.  Jesus agrees to go with Jairus, and the crowds follow them as they make their way to the home of Jairus.

As they journey on, Jesus stops suddenly.  He felt power go out of Him.  He asks who touched His clothes.  With fear and trembling, the woman who had touched the hem of His garment comes before Him.  Jesus affirms her faith and lets her know that her faith has made her whole.  She has been healed.  While Jesus is ministering to the needs of the woman, someone comes to Jairus and lets him know that his daughter is dead. They tell Jairus that it will do no good to trouble Jesus any longer.  There is no hope.

Jairus’s worst fear has become a reality.  Before Jairus can speak or move, Jesus tells Jairus to not be afraid and only believe.  In this moment, Jairus has a choice to make.  He can remain rooted in this spot, amid the crowd, or he can continue to journey on with Jesus.  Jesus acknowledges that fear is present, but He does not want Jairus to become fear.  He does not want Jairus to be paralyzed by the very real emotions that he is experiencing.  While it is easy to say that we would continue with Jesus, I have been guilty of letting my fear take over.  Thankfully, Jairus decides to remain committed to the journey.

I will fast forward to the happy ending.  Jesus puts the naysayers out of the house and gets to work.  The atmosphere and attitudes are now right for a miracle.  He restores the life of Jairus’s daughter.  But what if Jairus had remained in his spot of disappointment?  What if he had not pushed past the fear?  We likely would have seen a very different ending.  Jairus trusted God through distance, delay, and discouragement.  His faith was bigger than his fear.

No one is saying that fear does not exist in the lives of believers.  No one is saying that we do not have moments that stop us in our tracks.  But I am receiving the message loud and clear that I should not let anything become bigger than the God that I serve.  Faith should win every time.  #wepreach

• Name 3 things that trigger fear for you.
• How do you cope when fear takes over?
• In Mark 5:36 Jesus says “do not be afraid; only believe”, find two other scriptures that you can use to help you move through fearful moments.