Fear and Bad Dreams ...

Tuesday, March 15, 2016. This night I woke up at about three and realized that I had a bad dream. It was a dream which had fear in it - fear about the unpredictable behavior of people in my job. Fear of the power struggle which some people exercise. And fear of the blames and the guilt which some find always in others - what ever the facts are.

How to deal with our fear? …

How to deal with our fear? Fear is an important part of life. It can save your life, when it guides you to caution. It can be an important feeling.

And often, fear is quite realistic and it is a summary of our experiences with people. When someone stabs you in the back several times, it is very reasonable to fear this person. When someone treats you badly again and again, it is realistic to expect him or her to continue the treatment, and fear is something which can be quite reasonable.

Yet, fear can keep you from doing the right things. Fear can keep you from acting in a reasonable way. Fear can be blocking. Fear can destroy. It is very important whom you fear, how you live with your fear, and how you come to your conclusions and decisions! Let us listen to some words where Jesus talks about fear and anxiety.

Jesus about Fear …

22 And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?3 26 If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?

27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,4 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29 And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 30 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them.

31 Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. 32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Luke 12, 22-34)

It is quite remarkable that Jesus deals with the fear of his disciples. It is remarkable that he is concerned about everything: the deep layers of our soul. He talks about anxiety about our life, about food, clothing, shelter. But he also talks about more than the basic things of life. He talks about the kingdom of heaven. He talks about priorities - and our priorities can be food, clothing and shelter first. That would be natural. But not when it comes to God. Here, another priority comes: his kingdom first.

We are given a promise: when we put his kingdom first, all other things will be given to us. It can be hard. The needs of our life and our professions seem to tell us that we need to put the needs first. But here we come to the big difference of a life of faith and a life without faith. When you know that the eternal God is there, you cannot ignore him any more. He is the first, he is the basic existence, he is the ultimate goal, and nothing can come between us and him, not our needs, not our goals, not the daily things of life. His majesty and glory are just overwhelming, and his promise to take care of the rest is so unbelievable deep and far reaching … (RWEP) ... more texts