"Facing the Giants" and Fear

Matthew 6:25-27 (New American Standard Bible)

    25 For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?

Last night Charlie and I watched "Facing the Giants". This is certainly a movie worth watching, if you haven’t seen it you should. It was made by Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. There are many lessons we can learn from it, one of which is about fear.

Near the end of the movie, the Shiloh Eagles, coached by Grant Taylor, were about to play for the Georgia high school state championship against a team who had almost 3 times the number of players and were the reigning state champions 3 years running.  Coach Taylor was a bit afraid of how everything would turn out. But, just before the game, Coach Taylor's former football coach came to see him. He said something that I found very interesting. The former coach said that in the Bible God says 365 times to not be afraid, and that if God said it that many times then He must have meant it. Since there are 365 days in a year, and God says 365 times to not be afraid, then there is never a day in the year when we should be afraid.

Think of little David who went and confronted the giant Goliath. I would think that David would be afraid. But, the Bible does not give a hint of fear, rather faith. David knew that God was on his side, so he simply walked by faith and killed the giant. How often in our Christian life is rendered useless because of fear. Fear of failing, fear of what our friends would say, fear of our health failing, fear of being made fun of at work, fear of commitment, fear that God will not come through, fear of losing your time, energy, money. If David would not have stepped out in faith and faced the giant, we would not be talking about him. He would have been just another one of the Israelites standing on the sidelines shaking in fear. David made his life count by living by faith. He was not always perfect, but he was called a man after God's own heart. How? He let his faith control his life rather than fear.

Scripture says that the believer in Christ is more than a conqueror and that there is nothing that can separate us from His love (Romans 8). God also says that those who are in Christ should not even fear death because He has defeated death through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, His Son. If He could raise Jesus from the dead, then so could He raise each person who has placed their faith in Him. What does all this mean to us? Each of us wants our life to count for something.  Just like Gideon was able to lead 300 people to defeat a massive army, Joshua was able to lead Israel to defeat Jericho, Esther was able to stand up against evil, and Ruth was able to thrive in a foreign land was that they acted on what they believed.

If each of us would let go of our fear, repent of it, and live the words of God, then we will leave a mark on this world that will bring glory to God and cause others to follow Him. Let’s not wait until others decide to not fear. Let it begin with us.

So, what or who is your giant? What brings your fear to the point that you will not serve the living God? What are we seeing as bigger than God that we fear it rather than trust Almighty God? If God is really as powerful as He says He is, then why do we act like He is smaller than our everyday struggles, trials, and fears? He is not smaller; we just often convince ourselves He is.  Let’s take the time today and each of the other 364 days of the year not to fear but turn it over to God.

Dear Lord we thank you for Your word and the reminder that You give us to not fear. We pray that we would always turn our fears over to You knowing that You can handle them much better than we can. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.