Life will present situations we will not be able to understand. The natural emotional response in humans many times is fear. Fear causes us to make decisions that are sometimes foolish. When we put our faith and confidence in God and trust godly leadership, we can make better choices in our responses.
There is a big difference between faith and foolishness, however. If you saw a poisonous viper in your path, would you be displaying faith by simply walking up to it, picking it up, and moving it out of your way? I don’t think so. That’s not faith—that’s foolishness! Would avoiding the viper and taking a different path altogether be a sign of fear? No, it would be using wisdom.
The Apostle Paul was bitten by a viper (Acts 28), but he was unaware of its presence. He did not intentionally go on a snake hunt and gather up a bunch of the deadly creatures. AFTER he was bitten, he trusted God – and so should we! It is right to expect God to help us when we are doing what is right. It is NOT right to act carelessly and expect God to protect us anyhow.
When Jesus was told to throw Himself off the temple because Scripture said angels would protect Him, was He acting in fear by not jumping (Mark 4:6-7)? OF COURSE NOT! He was acting in wisdom! (This example, by the way, shows us that sometimes what we call “faith” is actually “tempting God”—doing something reckless while expecting God to protect us in the process.)
There is a big difference between faith and foolishness, however. If you saw a poisonous viper in your path, would you be displaying faith by simply walking up to it, picking it up, and moving it out of your way? I don’t think so. That’s not faith—that’s foolishness! Would avoiding the viper and taking a different path altogether be a sign of fear? No, it would be using wisdom.
When Paul had the brethren let him down over the wall in a basket in the middle of the night so he could escape those who wanted to kill him (Acts 9:25), was he acting in fear? NO! He was using wisdom! When the people of Iconium wanted to stone him and he “FLED” to another city (Acts 14:6) was he acting in fear? NO! He was using wisdom! When Paul perceived that the ship on which he was traveling was headed into a storm, he warned the people not to set sail (Acts 27). Was he acting out of fear? NO! He was using wisdom.
Neither Jesus nor Paul were living in fear. Rather, they were using wisdom. Wisdom is godly. Using wisdom is the will of God.
Do we obey traffic laws? Do we stop at the traffic light when it is red? Why don’t we just ignore the warning light and drive right through it? If we have faith, will God protect us when we intentionally disobey things that are put in place for our safety? Does obedience to those laws mean we are living in fear? NO! We are using wisdom!
Seeking wisdom from God and godly leaders will help us live a life of faith and not fear. If you are facing situations you do not understand, The Truth Church is here to help you work through your issues. You are not alone. Let us help you today!
