Spiritual Fear Factor

We all have our own pupil-dilating, adrenaline-rushing, fight-or-flight triggers, commonly known as our fears. You may be afraid of heights, so you clutch handrails and never, ever look down. Why are we wired that way? In our world today we value fearlessness; we idolize the ones who claim to have never been touched by this feeling of vulnerability. Far from praises of affirmation regarding the absence of fear, King Solomon's biblical admonition calls for us, as Christians, to embrace it. We will find ourselves standing before challenges that will test us not only physically and mentally, but also emotionally and spiritually. What if we are not victorious in life by removing fear, but by showing its mark? What if we live in a world centered on the fear of man, but have the opportunity to transform it by exhibiting our fear of God? Fear is one of the most misunderstood, misinterpreted, and misapplied concepts in the Christian faith. Unlike the many doctrinal disagreements that ultimately don't impact our everyday lives and daily decisions, how we cope with fear can seep into our feelings and reactions to the world around us. That's why a biblical understanding of fear transforms our relationships with God, the world, and ourselves.