Do Not Be Afraid

“Do not be afraid.” For any student of the bible who has wandered through the pages of Scripture, the words, Do not be afraid should create an unsettled feeling deep in our gut. Our exegetical red flags should signal something is about to happen. God is about to act in a decisive way. God is about to do something that will leave the person or persons receiving the message totally changed. There will be no going back to the old way of life. A new course is about to be plotted out. God is about to turn everything upside down. Do not be afraid, God said and then Moses found himself leading the Israelites through the desert for forty years. Do not be afraid, said the prophet Elijah and then he asked the widow of Zerepath to give up her last morsel of food. Do not be afraid Jesus said and then he invited Peter to step out onto the water. Do not be afraid, said Gabriel, and then an unmarried girl became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Do not be afraid, God said to me years ago when God called me into the ministry. Do not be afraid, God told a couple when God lead them into a foreign land. Do not be afraid, God said when God closed one door and opened up another for you. Do not be afraid, God said when God asked you to serve in the church. Do not be afraid, was the words you heard when you found yourself in an uncomfortable position for the sake of the gospel. Do not be afraid, was shouted deep in your soul when you were challenged to step out of your comfort zone to share the love of Christ.

If you have never heard those words or its been a while since you have, then don’t be surprised if they come to you at unexpected moments. Don’t be surprised if you wake up in the middle of the night with the urge to do something different. Don’t be surprised if you are sitting in church one Sunday morning trying not to fall asleep when all of a sudden God knocks you out of your pew. Don’t be surprised if you find your self in a situation and something tells you that is what you were made for. Don’t be surprised if you hear the words, “Do not be afraid!” And find your world turned upside down. Don’t be surprised because God is a God of surprises. God loves to surprise ordinary common folk with impossible tasks. Do not be afraid, is a signal that you are about to be taken on a wild ride with the One for whom nothing is impossible!

It was the message given to Mary by the Angel and it is the Good News given to us. “Do not be afraid, for you have found favor with God,” is our invitation to act courageously for the sake of the Gospel. It is the invitation to believe the incredible, to accept the inconceivable, and to embrace the impossible. It is a call to begin a journey that demands all our courage, all our strength, all our faith. It is a summons to plunge headlong into the unknown. It is the call to travel unfamiliar territory. The request to love neighbor, love enemy, and to live for the Kingdom of God. It is an enticement to use our talents, treasure, and time for the purpose of God’s Kingdom. Do not be afraid, God is with you! Be a neighbor to someone in need! Do not be afraid, God is with you! Find time to minister to the hundreds of teenagers in our community who are searching for role models. Do not be afraid, God is with you! Invest in God’s kingdom. Do not be afraid, God is with you! Be a peacemaker instead of violence. Do not be afraid, God is with you! Answer the call into the ministry. Do not be afraid, God is with you! Respond to the voice that calls forth overseas to missions. Do not be afraid, God is with you! Pray for a friend. Do not be afraid, God is with you! Offer forgiveness to an enemy. Do not be afraid, God is with you! Keep promises, speak the truth. Do not be afraid, God is with you! Visit a new neighbor, invite them to church, build a relationship. Do not be afraid, God is with you!