The Banishment of Fear

In the lives of most men there are many fears; some, much more than others. Fear is a factor in many decisions, a factor we would like to eliminate from life. Going back to an Old Testament text, we find many benefits mentioned for obedience, and fear resulting from disobedience. “… thou shalt find no ease…” it says, “but a trembling heart… and thou shalt fear day and night…. In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! And at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! For the fear of thine heart…”

It is fearful to think of such fear. Certainly all of us would like to eliminate fear from our lives – from our world and from our time. We would all wish freedom from fear fro everyone. But freedom from fear is something no man can guarantee anyone else, because many fears come form inside ourselves, besides those that come from outside sources.

Some fears follow us wherever we are. A man may shut himself inside a fortress and still have his fears with him. He may have guards or armies and still have his fears. He may destroy his foes physically and still be haunted by fear – the fear that comes from an un unquiet conscience, from the inner feelings of offense. A man may seem to have almost everything anyone would want and still fear the symptoms and uneasiness inside himself.

It would be wonderful to banish fear, and in some ways it can be—but if we are to be free from fear, we need at least two things: we need to live with respect for law, respect for those who protect us from outside sources, and then we need to live with such honor and honesty that we have peace and quiet thoughts inside ourselves. This is the real freedom from fear.