Trouble with Fear

Jesus didn’t promise freedom from trouble, but, says Glenn Townend, He did say trust can overcome fear.

An Indian fable tells of a mouse constantly troubled by his fear of rats! One day a magician took pity on the mouse and transformed him into a cat. At first the cat revelled in its new state and power, but before long noticed some lingering dogs. Cat life was driven now by the fear of canines.
The magician again took pity on the cat and made it into a tiger. The tiger enjoyed the newfound status of King of the Forest, but soon noticed a hunter. Tiger life was now driven by fear of the hunter. The magician, frustrated with his attempts to improve the mouse’s lot, said, “Be a mouse again, for you have only the heart of a mouse, and I cannot help you.”

Human life is something like that of the phobic mouse. We go from one trouble to another: the pain of seeing a child struggle with drug addiction; a house theft that takes all your electronic valuables and leaves a mess; bad luck or bad management on the stock exchange; unemployment; and, since September 11, the loss of a sense of security. There are always troubles and obstacles to face, whether you’re a mouse, a cat or a tiger.

We aren’t threatened by troubles so long as we feel bigger than what assails us. Fear comes when we feel overwhelmed and powerless. An external power to cope with life’s pressures would be helpful, as would a sense of peace and inner security.
Jesus talked quite a bit about trouble and fear. His life was constantly troubled. Although He taught people spiritual truths, healed people and made their lives better, the religious establishment were threatened. They harassed and challenged Him at every turn. Of course, some believed and followed Him.

The greatest trouble Jesus faced was His anticipated execution. He would be crucified and this meant leaving His disciples and friends. Jesus wasn’t so worried about Himself or His future, but rather for his followers’ future. They’d become dependent upon His insights, ideas and power to deal with trouble. Jesus’ presence in their lives had made a difference in how they dealt with fear and trouble.
With this in mind that Jesus addressed the topic of trouble and fear.

Troubled hearts need to learn to trust in a power outside themselves.“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me,” He said (John 14:1; see also John 14:27, 28; 16:33).
Fear drives behaviour. It paralyses. A scared cat stops in its tracks as it notices a savage dog nearby. Frightened humans often give up, thinking and feeling that their troubles are bigger than their capabilities. Fear is an emotion of the heart and mind and must be dealt with in the heart and mind. Jesus’ antidote to troubled fear is trust—in a higher power, God.

how does this help and work?
Take the fear of losing your house because you’ve lost your job and can’t afford the mortgage. This is a real issue—one that needs to be faced—choices need to be made. However, the greater choice is to trust God. But trusting in God only makes a difference when a person grasps how great and powerful God really is.

God can help. Yes, He could find you another job, for He has all resources. But if that doesn’t happen, it’s more important that God is with you in trouble. When you make a choice to trust, you’re making a comparison with the trouble you face and the God you believe in.

King David was often in trouble. Captured by his enemies, he said, “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” (Psalm 56:3, 4).

David makes a comparison between the trouble he’s in and the God he believes in. The trouble fades into insignificance. If we really trust God, He knows about our job and house and bank account, and He can be with us in the trouble even if there are no easy solutions. Focusing on the God you trust provides hope. Focusing on the trouble can produce fear and paralysis. Trust is the better, more enduring choice.

Jesus gives two reasons to remain untroubled in times of need and stress. First, when a person believes in Jesus, He sends the Holy Spirit—the “Comforter” (KJV)—into the person’s heart. Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you for ever—the Spirit of truth. . . . Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:16, 27).

The Holy Spirit is the everlasting presence of God. The Holy Spirit is with us 24/7 in any and every situation. You don’t ever have to be alone. As part of this, the Holy Spirit brings peace to your heart. You may feel afraid, but you can claim and choose peace in trouble.

The second reason Jesus gives for overcoming trouble and fear through trust in God is belief in the promise of Jesus’ return to earth. He says to the troubled disciples, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2, 3).

Jesus’ promise is based on the Middle Eastern custom of the day with the bridegroom taking his bride and friends to his father’s house. Jesus, the Bridegroom, promises to take His bride (or believers and followers) to live where God is.
Christians have believed in heaven from their beginnings. Jesus says heaven is where God is and it’s a real place where people can live.

Jesus’ purpose in coming back to earth is so that believers in Him in faith can be with Him in reality. God really desires to be close to His human creations and deal with their troubles permanently.

Since Jesus said He would be back, others have made the same claim. General Douglas MacArthur, when forced from the Philippines by the invading Japanese army, said, “I will return.” When Dennis Lillee, perhaps Australia’s greatest fast bowler, broke a vertebrae in the Caribbean, he said he would be back too—to play cricket. When people make such a promise, they give hope. Jesus’ promise to return gives hope in the midst of our troubles.

Douglas MacArthur and Dennis Lillee both made good on their promises, but the people had to wait. Jesus will come back, but only after an intermission. A promise of a future reality gives people a sense of destiny.

Christianity has value in that it deals with people’s troubles and fear, and also their ultimate destiny. Jesus didn’t promise to take trouble away altogether, but He did say fear could be swallowed by trust. That’s trust in One who is near in trouble to bring peace to the heart through the Holy Spirit. Trust in God who will send Jesus back to earth for His people.

Audio Adrenaline, a US Christian band, sing a song that’s reflective of the Christian’s promise for the future: “Come and go with me to my Father’s house/ It’s a big, big house with lots and lots of rooms/ With a big, big table with lots and lots of food/ A big, big yard where we can play football/ A big, big house; it’s my Father’s house.”

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