When Your Fears Dont Look Like Mine
I’d faced this before, but never thought about it much until the tail spin panic our world was sent into in March 2020. I knew other people struggled with fear, but it was never so apparent nor so real until now.
I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t afraid, too. I wasn’t afraid of catching the disease, or dying if I did, but I was still afraid. I was afraid of making ends meet with no income. I was afraid of a government that had the power to suddenly close everything and threatened criminal charges on people that disobeyed.
A friend shared with me her frustration one day. She was trying to invite people to come take walks by themselves on her large property, but some people turned her down because the government told them to stay inside. She was trying to help people by providing them a safe place to exercise and get some fresh air, but they were too afraid. My only advice at the time? Love them through their fear.
But it frustrated me, too. All the people who’s fears were different than my own. Why were they afraid of this thing? It’s unreasonable, it’s stupid to be afraid of that. The Lord, however, was softening my heart and changing my perspective. He asked me one day “are you judging their fears?”
I thought about it, wrestled with it, and turned that question inside out. I have made it my job for the past five years to confront and deal with my own fear, but I’ve taken very little time to understand or respect the fear in others.
Just because I’m not afraid to disobey the government, just because I am not afraid of getting sick, just because I am at peace with dying, doesn’t mean it isn’t a very real fear for someone else.
And I need to love them through that.
I’m going to do it. I’m pulling it out again. “The love chapter”. I’m referencing it yet again because I don’t think any of us understand it enough. 1 Corinthians 13. The perfect example of love, because we know that perfect love casts out fear.
Love is patient. Love waits for their brother or sister struggling in fear and loves them where they are.
Love is kind. Love is considerate of others feelings.
Love does not envy, does not boast, is not proud. Love does not compare situations. Love does not brag about how they themselves have overcome fear. Love is not prideful of their own revelation while judging others for their lack of.
Love does not dishonor others. Love does not drag the name of a brother or sister through the mud because they fear differently. Love does not dismiss the feelings of another as stupid.
Love is not self seeking. Love does not look for it’s own gain, to win the argument, to make you see it like I see it. Love looks out for the best interest of others.
Love is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not become clouded with their own emotions and feelings. Love waits. Love has no tally book. Love does not give up because a brother or sister has struggled with fear for too long or has sunk into sin again and again.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth. Love exists where truth is spoken. But not our own truth we want to believe. Love is where God’s truth is allowed to reign.
Love always protects. Love will go above and beyond for their brother or sister. Love keeps others from harm.
Love always trusts. Love trusts that it is not our job to change anyone.
Love always hopes. Love hopes for the best in and for everyone.
Love always perseveres. Love never gives up on a brother or sister, no matter what they are dealing with.
Love never fails.
We are to be love. Our only two duties in life are to love. Love the Lord our God with everything inside of us and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
That’s it. Everything else can fall into place under those two commands. We need to be love to those who fear differently than we do, because perfect love casts out fear.
