How often do you want to do something nice, but back out due to fear? Here's an embarrassing story from a few weeks ago...
I was riding the bus, en route to one of my classes. I was sitting near the back of the bus, wearing a flat-billed trucker hat. A girl was sitting behind me. Now, as I was sitting in my seat, I realized that a yellow jacket was buzzing around the window that our two seats shared. It kept going back and forth between her seat and my own. She was obviously frightened of the stinging insect. So, what did I, manly man of God, do in this scenario?
I backed away from the window, also scared. Yep, that was my move. Kids, don't follow that example.
You see, I had a hat on that was more than capable of killing the wasp, all without putting myself in considerable danger. Alas, I was too afraid over potential danger to pull the trigger and do the heroic (and loving) thing to do.
Loving people often goes like this. We think about saying something nice, or sharing the gospel, or offering to help, and then we hold back. We think, "what if they reject my offer?" or "what if they get offended by a compliment?" or "what if they think I'm being pushy with my religion?" To compare it to my yellow jacket story, we are too afraid of being stung to act on our "love."
Yet, 2 Timothy 1:7 says, "for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." We have a spirit of love and power, not fear. We must remember that when we go through life, or the adversary will keep us afraid of as many loving acts as he can.
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