Faith vs Fear

These are times of historic significance: sliding real estate and stock markets, rising unemployment, usurpation of power by all branches of government, confusion of leaders and much more. Yet in the midst of this storm I am comforted by knowing Jesus Christ.

The other morning in my personal Bible time, I read Mark 4 and saw the end of the chapter in a whole new light. To put it in context, Jesus had told His apostles, "Let us cross over to the other side." He proceeded to fall asleep on a pillow in the stern of the boat as these seasoned workers of the waters manned the boat. In comes a horrific gale creating enough fear in the fishermen that they wake Jesus and say, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" Jesus simply calms the storm with the words, "Peace, be still!"

We all know this story and the way it so beautifully displays the power of the Son of God, but the new revelation came to me in the next verse. Jesus proceeds to ask his apostles two questions which carry a powerful meaning together. First he asks them, "Why are you so fearful?" Seems that they were justified if their lives were on the line, right? Not so! His second inquiry to them, "Where is your faith?" I can hear them saying to themselves, "What's this got to do with faith? He must not realize our lives were on the line?"

Jesus is essentially saying here that fear and faith are like oil and water; they do not go together. If you have one, you naturally do not have the other. Jesus had told them that they were going to the other side. He did not tell them it would be smooth sailing, but He did tell them they were crossing over to the other side.

In the midst of the gale which howls about our country, we must find peace in His promises. We must find rest in the fact that He is ultimately in charge. No one is in authority without His allowance (Rom 13:1). It is His hand that is to make wealth and to take it away (I Chr. 29, Job). It will do us well to test ourselves to see if we are operating from faith or fear (II Cor. 13:5); to examine our hearts to see if we are being overcome by fear of potential loss, persecution, famine, etc. Whatever fears we find are probably unfounded, because we are told at the end of Romans 8 that we have nothing to fear. The only fear we are to operate from is the healthy fear of a loving and just Father (Isa. 8:13).