Title Are You Afraid?
Are you afraid now?
Text/ John 14:27
1. Introduction
A woman took her own life. The woman's husband was the president of a large company, and both children were healthy and attending great colleges. It was an almost perfect family with no economic, social, and emotional deficiencies. Family-relatives-friends could not comprehend the woman's suicide. Then a suicide note was found in the woman's dressing table drawer, in which she said, "I'm so happy right now. Before this happiness breaks, I must die!” It was written.
We all have different types of fear. Economic problems - failure of purpose - interpersonal relations - wars, social changes such as political system - cancer, sudden death, various accidents - There is a fear of survival (survival) such as problems of old age. And there is the fear of the meaning of life - the question of life and death - the philosophical - religious question of the afterlife. Other than that, I live with vague fear-anxiety-anxiety-anxiety that cannot be expressed in words. Therefore, it can be said that fear is an existential emotion of human beings.
However, the Bible resolutely says, “Do not be afraid in your heart!” regarding all fears, such as survival problems - spiritual problems - vague fears He does.
2. The words that say in your heart not to be afraid
*Listen, Israel, do not fear in your heart, do not be afraid, do not tremble, do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you, and for your sake he strikes your enemies and saves you (Deuteronomy 20:3-4).
*Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:1-9).
*The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; whom shall I fear? (Psalm 27:1)
*God is our refuge and strength...Though the waters of the sea are violent and the mountains tossed, we will not fear (Psalm 46:1-3).
*The LORD is on my side; I have no fear; what can man do to me? (Psalm 118:6)
*Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:32).
*Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid (John 14:27).
*God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).
Psalm 34:4-9, Psalm 50:15, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Hebrews 13:6, 1 John 4:18, etc.
3. Are you afraid now?
first. It is to clarify the true nature of the fear that is facing me right now (fear of survival-spiritual fear-vague fear).
It happened when I was in my freshman year of middle school. There was a time when I got a house deep in the mountains of Samgaksan to treat my grandmother's heart disease, and lived in the waterfall for a month. One night, my grandmother had a heart attack, and the emergency medicine ran out. I was going down the mountain road to Segomjeong Pharmacy, and from a hollow pit - a dark forest - a grave, a ghost, a goblin, a fox, a snake, and a devil seemed to attack me behind me. I was scared, so I walked and ran and ran again, and after looking closely at the pit-forest-tomb that I thought there was something like this, I checked that there was nothing. You have successfully completed your mission.
On that day, I knew that the best way to defeat fear was not to run away just because I was afraid and scared, but to face the object of fear (pits, forests, graves, etc.).
second. After I figure out what the fear that is facing me right now is, I fight it with the determination that “if I die, I will die” like Esther.
This happened to me when I was in middle school, and I had a friend in my class who got the bad nickname “Bitch”. The friend told me not to call her “bitch.” But the big kids ignored the request and shouted louder, "Bitch, bitch!" I did. The friend then had a duel with the big boys. Of course it blew up. The big kids are like, “Bitch!” made fun of it. Then the friend was beaten and exploded and fought and fought again. But it's really strange. From one day on, no one called him a “bitch.”
third. If the fear I am facing right now is a vague thing that I do not even know the identity of, I have to deliberately move my body so that my whole body becomes exhausted, such as exercising, climbing, walking, and volunteering. I also think that the law of 卽生 靜卽生 (Similar death: if you move, you live, if you sit still, you die) also applies.
I work in the fields when I am anxious, afraid, and noisy. After digging the ground - digging up stones - building stone walls - pulling weeds - and sweeping the yard with a large broom, your body is full of sweat. If you wash your body with clear water and drink a cup of coffee, your vague anxiety-fear disappears.
Occasionally, I do a big house cleaning the refrigerator, closet, and bookshelf I do the laundry. Light a candle in a tidy room, sit neatly, take 121 deep breaths - sing a hymn - meditate. And when you find the words listed above and read them out loud (especially 1 Corinthians 10:13), most of the vague fear-anxieties seem to be washed away. *