The Apostle Paul says in 2 Timothy 1:7-8 Amplified Bible, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. Do not blush or be ashamed then, to testify to and for our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for His sake, but [with me] take your share of the suffering [to which the preaching] of the Gospel [may expose you, and do it] in the power of God."
One of the things the spirit of fear does is it attacks our mind with the "what ifs." About one year ago Chen Guangcheng, a blind, self-taught lawyer, escaped house arrest in Shandong, China, walking at night for several miles until he met up with He Peirong, who drove him to the US embassy in Beijing, China. Guangcheng probably got attacked with the thought, "What if I get caught? How will the Chinese authorities harm me?"
Harriet Tubman probably also had times in her life when she was attacked with the what ifs. Harriet Tubman started out as Harriet Ross born into slavery in Maryland. As a teenager, a slave overseer hit Harriet in the head with a lead brick because she was blocking his throw to stop another slave trying to escape slavery. Harriet was hit so hard that she became unconscious. The hit did lifetime damage. From that time on she suffered seizures and uncontrollable sleeping spells. Having a disability didn't mean that Harriet wanted to remain a slave. When she thought about escaping slavery, what if thoughts probably came to her mind like, "What if I run away and get caught by slave catchers and their bloodhounds? Will I be whipped? Will I be sold further South? Will I fall asleep or have a seizure at the worst possible moment?"
Some parents today decide to have prenatal testing. They may be thinking thoughts like, "What if the test determines that our baby has a disability like Down syndrome? What if the pregnancy is carried to term? How long will I be a parent? How am I going to afford this? What happens when I die? What will people think and say about a disabled child? How will they treat us?"
Fear comes to all of us. What does God say to do with it? "Have not I commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9 Amplified Bible) When fear attacked Chen Guangcheng, he still moved to escape house arrest inflicted on him by Chinese authorities for filing a 2005 class action lawsuit against local officials involved in forced abortions and forced sterilizations practiced as part of China's one child policy. When fear attacked Harriet Tubman, she still moved to escape slavery via the Underground Railroad (a network of people who helped runaway African American slaves find freedom in non-slave American states or in Canada.) Some parents instead of choosing to abort their child who may or may not have a disability, choose life and celebrate it. Sarah and Todd Palin have a son who has Down Syndrome. Their car bumper sticker says, "My kid has more chromosomes than your kid."
Creyentes (believers) are reinas y reyes (kings and queens). We are not called to be intimidated by adversity. We are called to press through adversity overcoming evil with good. Philippians 1:28-29 Amplified Bible says, "And do not [for a moment] be frightened or intimidated in anything by your opponents and adversaries, for such [constancy and fearlessness] will be a clear sign (proof and seal) to them of [their impending] destruction, but [a sure token and evidence] of your deliverance and salvation, and that from God. For you have been granted [the privilege] for Christ’s sake not only to believe in (adhere to, rely on, and trust in) Him, but also to suffer in His behalf."
Chen Guangcheng is still speaking out about human rights abuses in China while his family in Shandong, China is being persecuted by Chinese authorities. Chen Guangcheng, Yuan Weijing, Guangcheng's wife, and Bob Fu, founder and president of ChinaAid, are currently in Europe meeting with governmental authorities and human rights organizations to shine the light on China's human rights abuses. Harriet Tubman not only escaped slavery for herself, she also successfully lead hundreds of slaves to freedom via the Underground Railroad. Some parents are not only choosing life for their unborn babies, they are also working to make it illegal to kill people just because they have or may have a disability.
The spirit of fear seeks to get us to cooperate with evil and to focus on failure/difficulty or potential failure/difficulty. No one has a totally successful easy life. Having failures and difficulties are not reasons to faint. For creyentes, our destination is a now and eternal relationship with a good, loving God. A Yoruba of Nigeria proverb says, "One should keep one's eyes on one's destination, not on where one stumbled."
Share some destination stories of overcoming the spirit of fear. Write to:
Michele F. Jackson
P.O. Box 2106
Woodbridge, Virginia 22195
Follow Michele F. Jackson on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/michelelove30.
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