The Fear of Crisis

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

(1 John 4:18 NASB95)

1 Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2 And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.” 3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. 6 You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. 8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. 9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 10 At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12 Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14 This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

(Matthew 24:1-14)

We are quickly moving toward that tribulation Jesus describes, marked by wars, famines, earthquakes, many false Christs, many false prophets, falling away of many believers, hatred and betrayal among many believers, lawlessness and that “most people’s love will grow cold” (v12). Christians will be delivered over and killed, and “you will be hated by all nations because of My name” (v9, emphasis added).

Jesus warns the disciples, “See that you are not frightended, for those thing must take place” (v6). Would the church be able to trust and follow God through those trials without a debilitating fear? Would I? How could we ever know how we would respond in such dire circumstances?

If we will, we can allow Jesus to shine His light and deal with the fear in our hearts by His perfect love, whether that fear is of future peril or of a current crisis in our lives. As that happens, we will ensure that our faith rests on a solid foundation of Christ alone and be in a position to trust Him and follow Him through anything.

Is there fear in your heart that keeps you from trusting God? Does fear keep you from following God? Loving God? Receiving His love? Does fear come from world events? Local events? Family dissension? Marital crisis? Children crisis? Job crisis? Money crisis? Church crisis? Ministry crisis? Faith crisis? Is there fear in your heart? Does fear dictate your decisions?

Are you grasping at any of those areas listed above out of fear, disparingly trying to survive and rescue the crisis, instead of clinging only to Jesus, no matter the outcome?

That is the core issue of fear for most of us: What will the outcome of the crisis be? We draw red lines and set conditions as we negotiate with God during a crisis, and that should not be. We have to give it to Him completely, no matter the outcome. This is the most gut-wrenching step of faith because it tears away from every survival instinct of the flesh. But it’s the most powerful step we can take toward God. Trusting God and following Him does not mean we have all the answers or that we’re certain of the outcome or even how or when God will move. It means we trust in who God is and in His promises. In John 17, we see Jesus’ heart as He pleads with the Father to be near us, united in glory and in the Father’s love, that same love the Father has for the Son.

20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.

(John 17:20-23)

We must rest in knowing God and His heart of truth and love. Resting in Him requires us to let go of the result of our crisis and trust Him still. “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15a KJV).

Most of us will consider that step of faith to be quite impossible. That kind of faith is only for Job or superstar Christians or death-defying missionary legends. Not so, because it is a work of the groaning of the Holy Spirit within us and not of ourselves. We only need to allow Jesus to shine His loving light in our hearts, exposing our sin, and repent quickly.

26 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

(Romans 8:26-27)

If you will take this step of faith, surrendering the outcome of personal crisis and resolving to trust God, then you will be in a position to follow God. If this is your desire, come to God, not in a prescripted prayer, but simply crying out in repentance and believe that the “groanings too deep for words” of the Holy Spirit will do the work that you cannot do in the deep places of the heart.

Do not be frustrated or angry with God if you have to do this more than once, or even daily. This is, in fact, an ongoing surrender and lifelong work of the Holy Spirit in sanctification. Freedom will come from God. Provision will come from God. Peace that passes understanding will come from Him. Rest will come. Instructions will come. A revelation of the Father’s heart for your next steps, big or small, will come. All of this will come in a daily measure of grace as you allow Jesus to shine His loving light in your heart. Give up expectations of your crisis. Give up even the expectations of the outcome of your sanctification. Surrender and repent daily. Then watch what God does.

The crisis is often outside your control, but the position of your heart between you and Father God is a simple step of repentance. Not easy, but simple.