Fear! Really?

As I was reading Hebrews 4:1, it seemed to jump off of the page at me; “Let us fear lest you miss the promise that comes from entering His rest, and you come up short of entering it.”  “Let us fear?” Doesn’t  God say, “Fear Not, be not dismayed, for I with you!” and, “we have not been given a spirit of fear, but love, power and a sound mind!” but this text says, “Let us fear!”  The Message Bible says, this resting in Him pulls us on to His goal for us, so we should fear that we are disqualified or miss out.

This is not a contradiction but a collaboration of truth.  Which means….there are things you are not to be afraid of.,… “don’t be afraid of their faces, I will make your face like flint!  Stand Up against them!  But there other things that we should Fear!

So what should we fear?  My first thought was, death.  But I’m not afraid of death as long as I live first.  What I’m afraid of is if I live without living!  The worst thing would be to live and die like the Children of Israel in the wilderness, and not go in and possess the promised land. 

Carol and I see so many people living life with uncertainty, no purpose, not sure, would have done it different, could have had it, afraid of success or just not even trying!

I know we all grow up hearing, Don’t run up there!  Don’t touch that!  Don’t do that, you’ll fall!  But….to live and die and not know your purpose?  Settle for mediocrity?  Settle for less because you are more afraid of your opposition than the One who empowers you to be Amazing!

So what I believe the writer in Hebrews is saying, you need to fear living life by just existing.  I can’t imagine any of you living and dying without fulfilling all you were created to be! 

Think about this question: What leaves people stuck in a place where they never touch what they were called to do or be?  Is it intimidation?  I don’t thing so!  I believe it’s refusing to dare to live life fully alive.  It’s failing to get up everyday ready to fight against the fear of falling short of your greatness, or settling for less!

Faith is not only a noun but a verb!  You must work it!  When will you say things like; Enough is Enough?  I’ve lost enough stuff?  Nothing and No one will steal away my marriage?  I will not give up on my children?  I will do whatever it takes to land that new job?  I refuse to be a Passive Christian!  Enough is Enough!

I love Blind Bartameus, yelling, and with everyone around him telling him to be quiet, but No!  He keeps yelling for Jesus to Help him!  Faith is not passive, but aggressively at work yelling, “See Me Jesus?”  You don’t’ need to show Him that you’re cute, but that you are a mess.  “See what I lost while I was trying to get to You?  See Me Lord?”  I love the fact that Jesus noticed and gave him what he desired.

Don’t be afraid to yell, scream and chase Jesus to get a Miracle!  It’s no wonder God says, “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life!”  Part of this happens because we fear doing nothing and letting life kill us.  We must rise up and take back everything that has been stolen!  Reverse every curse that has been placed upon us.  Defeat and destroy everything that was meant to take us down! 

Later in Hebrews it says to be diligent to press into that place of rest and promise.  That’s what God wants for us as His children; let’s get aggressive and go after it in the Name above all names, Jesus!