Okay, I didn’t thoroughly think this completely through… I’m sure by the title of this post you are thinking “Dude, there are way more than 2 kinds of fear.” That may be true so just go along with this.
I’m not discussing phobias or how you run up on a chair when you see a mouse.
There is the fear of not wanting to try something and there is the fear of not knowing how things will turn out.
If you have never done something before it can be scary. Sky diving would be one of those for me. I’m the kind of person that will say to you (as I’m safely standing on land) that I would jump out of a plane to sky dive. If I were in a plane and as soon as they opened the door for me to jump I know that they would have to throw me out of that plane. It’s easy to say you’ll do something when you aren’t faced with that circumstance in that moment. So because I’ve never sky dived I can have the fear of not wanting to do it. You may have been before and you can talk to me all you want about how everything will be fine. I will still be afraid so I won’t do it. I let my fear keep me from doing something.
On the other hand, you can have the courage to try something yet still have fear. You don’t know how it’s going to turn out but you’re still going to do it. I remember the first time I went to school and it was scary. I had a great deal of fear yet I still went. This is the fear of the unknown. We’re still going to take a chance even if we’re scared.
When God calls us to do something you can have Fear #1 - where you won’t do what God has called you to do because you are afraid. You may have Fear #2 - where you somehow have enough courage to try it but you are freaking out every step of the way. You don’t know how things are going to turn out and there are some legit fears that you may have… yet you still choose to obey.
The people in the Bible that obeyed God had fear #2. Moses went back to Egypt even though he had some fears. He didn’t know how it was going to turn out. Even Jesus himself had fear. He was in the garden the night before His death pleading to God to see if there was any other way. Jesus had fear but still made His next step.
I have some fears… but I don’t want them to be fears where I won’t even try (Fear #1). I want to be able to say to God that I know I’m taking a risk… but if You said to do it, I’m going to obey you even though I don’t know the outcome.
We are fearful people which is why God tells us throughout the Bible to not be afraid. He knows that we are afraid but we can trust Him. God is working on your behalf.
One of my favorite Bible verses: “Fear not for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” ~ Isaiah 41:10
