Afraid

Once several years ago, I was trekking in the Himalayas of Nepal. We came to one of the many suspension bridges that cross the river. Suddenly I became very afraid. Even though I was with other people and I had no other option, I couldn’t get the nerve to cross for several minutes. After sitting and praying for about 15 minutes, I got up and headed to the bridge. I wouldn’t let anyone on the bridge at the same time as me and I asked the others to pray. I made it across that bridge and several more on that trek during the next three days. It’s a good thing, because there was no other way down the mountain.

All of us have fears or phobias that can be difficult for us to overcome. It is another thing entirely to deal with the fear of other people thinking poorly about us. Most surveys say that our number one fear is public speaking. Why? Because we are afraid of what people will think about us. That same type of fear pops up in large gatherings and when we meet new people, especially prospective in-laws.

This fear also shows up when we tell others about something important to us, like our faith. We are afraid that they will reject us. God gives us comfort in these times when he promises, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6) God promises to protect his people from all evil. We can be comforted and feel secure in these promises.