Fear Not

Mass shootings, stabbings, hurricanes, fires, rampant sexual harassment, political corruption, drug abuse, domestic violence, angry protests.…it seems that threats are coming from every direction. These are certainly not the things that you hope to hear about when you turn on the television, particularly in our nation that was built on freedom, liberty and justice for all. The reality is that we live in a world torn and broken by sin. If you study scripture and world history, there have always been horrible, violent people, corrupt governments and periods of unrest and disaster. But for many of us who’ve lived through kinder times, it seems that the winds of change are blowing. If it weren’t for the certainty brought to us by God and his word, it could be very difficult to cope with what we see going on around us.

To be better prepared to care for our congregation, even before the church shooting in Texas, I attended active shooter training. It was a good learning opportunity, some of which I’ve already shared with the church staff and the council. Nowhere in Scripture does it say that Christians can’t protect one another or their family. But with that said, we should never seek revenge, we must be always be slow to anger and quick to trust God and work for peace. The threats in our society are very real but so is the wisdom and strength given to us by Almighty God. I believe that the loss of a reverence for and trust in God is the main cause of the unrest that we are seeing unfold. So, while the things I learned in active shooter training are beneficial and we will continue to discuss and act upon them, the solution in our time is for us to grow in our knowledge of God, to call out to Him for help and guidance, to rejoice in His presence, to share His love with the people He puts in our midst and to comfort those who are hurting.

It is through our relationship with God that we can be rid of the confusion and fear that surround us. I think that sometimes we forget that as believers, we have a weapon that cannot be defeated; the Holy Spirit that lives within us. “For we have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7). When we are filled with God’s presence, there is no room for the enemy.

As the Christmas season approaches, let us remind one another of how God demonstrated His love for us; a love so true it cannot be brought into question. Jesus came as an infant, He walked this earth to demonstrate God and show us the way, He suffered and died to pay the price for our sins, He rose again to give us eternal life and He will come again to make all things new.

May God bless and keep you in his peace!
Pastor Scott