From the category archives:

Fear

Does God Fear Human Beings?

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In response to the earlier question about God’s punishment of Adam and Eve, an astute reader asked this counter-question: “Was the reason why God kicked them out just fear?” What an interesting perspective this adds to the Biblical story about the fall. It deserves a separate reflection.
If we want to speculate about God’s motivation behind [...]

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Who Cares About Desires and Wants?

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When you desire something, it is often a private or secret matter and you don’t share it with others. In contrast, wanting something is a much more visible thing because you put will and action into getting it. But maybe I’m just imagining this difference.
Let’s look at desires first. In my experience, there are at [...]

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Is There Any Fear Stronger Than the Fear of Disappointment?

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I am reading C.S. Lewis’ sermon, The Weight of Glory, and am struck, once again, by his insights on our human capacity to desire.
He looks at the ways we desire things for ourselves. And then he says we have a problem: our desires are too weak. Not too strong, but too weak. He says we [...]

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Is Your Fear of God Perhaps Nothing But Fear of Yourself?

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Some of us fear God’s punishment for bad behavior. Therefore we are careful and always trying to do the right thing. Or, we make sure to appear as if we have the kind of morals God wants us to have. Either way, how do we know our fear is not just fear of our own [...]

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Do You Fear Becoming Someone Great?

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Imagine yourself at your very best. Imagine your potential is no longer something you wish you had developed. You have in fact already developed it. Does that make you comfortable? Or how does it make you feel?
Personally, I know it gives me comfort to think I cannot be what I would like to be. Because [...]

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Is the Environmental Crisis the Test of Humanity’s Lifetime?

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In response to our last question, Dave Barefield suggested that the environmental crisis is “a test to see if we can put the finger pointing aside … and act maturely as a species.” If we pass the test, we will live, if we do not pass the test, we will die.
Today, I want us to [...]

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Why Do We Fear Empty Waiting Rooms?

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When a friend asked this question, I immediately thought of the doctor’s or the dentist’s office. Or the waiting rooms I have been through at small and remote railway stations.
I think the answer to this question has two parts
1: We fear something unpleasant is coming. We imagine the doctor telling us we have cancer, are [...]

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What Is Wrong with Fear Getting You High on Freedom?

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In a BBC article, UK reporter Justin Webb says Americans get high on freedom because they fear the alternative. Poverty is scary, so you do what you can to avoid it. This makes me wonder how much of our love for freedom is driven by fear.
Even if we are driven by fear a lot, tell me [...]

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