We are probably more apt to be scared into sinning rather than being scared sinless.
Did you ever wonder if being scared is a sin? I don’t mean the action you take because you were afraid, I mean the fear itself. Depending on the version you use, some variation of “Do not fear” is written somewhere between over 100 times to over 300 times in the Bible. I read once that it is written 365 times, one for each day of the year…admittedly I have not counted the instances, and I cannot find definitive proof of that.
Is being scared an open invitation for the enemy to wreak havoc in our lives? There have been times I’ve made good decisions because I was afraid…and times I was too dumb to know to be afraid, and God took care of me. Don’t ignore warning signs, and don’t ignore your “gut.”
Fear lies. Fear silences. Fear sins. It paralyzes, it can be a stumbling block. It can also make us take a second look and perhaps make better choices. Which leads me to the questions: What exactly does the Bible mean by “fear,” and how do we not be scared when, in reality, we are?
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