I was sitting in church yesterday, actually listening to the sermon, as I prepared myself for this Christmas week. We were reading from the book of Luke (Luke 2:10-11):
“The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.”
All of a sudden I was struck by the passage, “do not be afraid.” It reminded me of a famous quote I’d heard all my life.
In his inaugural address of 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt stated, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” The president was addressing a nation in the grips of a great depression and Roosevelt’s address was stated to encourage the American public. That one phrase gave the public something to live for.
Fear is a great motivator. People are constantly being bombarded by negative news and social media about what everyone on the planet should be afraid of. However, just the opposite is true in the Bible. The passage “do not be afraid” or similar phrases are stated over 366 times in the Bible. If it’s used that often in the Bible, that tells me it’s important to God to give us more than a daily dose of encouragement. It also tells me I shouldn’t be afraid because God has it under control.
Why does God repeat himself so often when it comes to our fears? Perhaps because our hurts and hang-ups can often cause us to think that everyone, including God, is out to get us. But that simply isn’t true. Jesus is the proof of that.
When you understand God’s grace and mercy, then you have no need to fear the future. God isn’t trying to get even with you. Jesus has taken the penalty for everything you’ve ever done wrong or will do wrong. He paid for it on the cross.
We closed the service last night with this song, which says it all (and very well) for me:
God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
And He does live … what started in a manger was paid for on a cross.
Have a blessed Christmas!
Debby Efurd is co-founder of Cary John Efurd Ministries of Pittsburg, TX. She has been a contributor to Bound for Life and written numerous articles published in LifeNews, Christian Post and the Baptist Standard, and is the author of Go Tell It! available at Amazon.com Learn more about Cary John Efurd Ministries by liking our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/CJEMinistries) and downloading our FREE mobile app (get.theapp.co) from App Store or Google Play. Once downloaded, allow notifications to keep you up to date on what’s happening in Cary John Efurd Ministries. Debby can be contacted at caryjohnefurdministries@gmail.com. Feel free to comment on her blog, The Second Mile, at www.debbyefurd.com .
Tagged: Christmas, courage, fear and worry, scripture
