In Mark, chapter 5, there is a story of a synagogue ruler named Jairus whose 12 year old girl was sick and near death. Jairus approached Jesus and asked him to come heal her. As they were walking toward his house, news came that the girl was already dead. Jesus' response is recorded in verse 36.

Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."

There is a connection here that Jesus makes; it's between belief (faith) and fear. These things are presented as two options in a choice...we cannot choose both. They are opposed to one another. Pastor Thomas shared a story the other day in which a child is chasing her friends with a bucket she has filled with water from a nearby creek. Her friends are running away trying to avoid being soaked. One child is so afraid of a dowsing that he runs straight into the creek and falls, becoming drenched in the process. The point of the story is that fear often drives us toward the very thing we fear. Our fear and our choices made in fear often bring about the outcome we are afraid of.

The alternative is faith. When we trust God, we are free to move forward in life in wiser and healthier ways. This is why Scripture over and again encourages "Do not be afraid..."

- Rob

Edited: 01/28/2010 at 1:03 PM by rmehner

Awesome! We might need to write a book about the lessons we're learning from Pastor Thomas!