Nick Harrison | 2021
Faith or Fear: How Do We React to Adversity?
As I write this, we’re in the midst of the Coronavirus upheaval. As a result, many people are fearful of catching the virus and possibly suffering fatal complications. As horrible as this virus is, it’s another event in our lives that reveal how we decide to react to adversity.
During each ominous event, it’s as if we’re facing two doors, one of which we must choose to walk through. One door is marked “Fear” and the other is marked “Faith.” Most normal human beings default to the door marked “Fear,” because fear in the face of possible death is a natural response. But for the Christian, we must never open the door marked “Fear.” The door marked “Faith” is the only door for us.
Think about what lies on the other side of each door. If we open the “fear” door and walk across the threshold, we’re likely to encounter depression, panic attacks, irrational mood swings, and any number of other paralyzing emotions.
When we walk through the “faith” door, we enter into a room of hope, happiness, security, and, most importantly, we enter into the room where God’s presence dwells.
At one time or another, every person on the planet is faced with events in which these two doors appear as options. And each time we choose the fear door, we move farther and farther away from God—and from healing of our fears. The repeated imprint of fear on our souls leads downhill fast. On the other hand, when we repeatedly choose the door marked “faith,” we find our souls continually renewed and made more resilient against the adversities of life. And perhaps most important, it’s not really the size of our faith that matters. Mustard seed sized faith is enough. It’s the object of our faith that counts. And our faith is in an all-powerful God who loves us deeply.
There’s a reason Jesus so often told His disciples to “fear not.” He knew that fear is a bitter enemy. A destroyer of souls.
Let this present crisis have a positive result in your life, no matter what happens. Open the door marked “faith.” You will enjoy what you find across the threshold—and it sure beats what fear has to offer.
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