As I was reading my perspectives lesson today, I came across a great point that one of the authors made. "Fear is the opposite of faith." It got me thinking, that it really is a very true analysis of the relationship of the two. If I want to call myself a disciple of Christ, fear is not an option. I have been thinking a lot about that lately as we have been speaking at different churches and groups. One question we get asked a lot, is about the safety and security of the country in which we are going to serve. Concerns that we hear a lot usually deal with disease, violence, our kids safety, and overall risk of being a Christian witness in a country where there is a Muslim presence in some areas. While I know people are truly concerned for our well-being, it does make me wonder sometimes if we are letting fear triumph over faith. Before we made the life changing decision to go into full time missions, fear was definitely a factor and can still be something that comes up now and then as we still face unknowns. But we have to keep coming back to faith, because that is what sustains us. Faith should drive us into doing things that may not always be safe or comfortable. The disciples when filled with the Holy Spirit could not help but risk their very lives because of their passion to spread the gospel. They faced persecution, and most of them even death for the sake of their Savior. This kind of sold out faith should not just be something we think about when it comes to the early church in the book of Acts, but it should give us the model that Christ intended us to use as the way of spreading our faith today. I count it a privilege to serve Christ in this way and I hope that I will always let faith outweigh my fears.
-Andy
