No Spirit of Fear!!!

[This was amazing. I was looking for another article I wrote immediately following 9/11 and discovered this one. At the time I didn't realize how deep our national paranoia would eventually run. I couldn't have imagined people taking off their shoes before getting on a plane or being barred from taking cough medicine on a plane. I couldn't imagine people of color agreeing that racial profiling could be a good thing (as long as it isn't the police officer on the corner pulling them over because they came into the wrong neighborhood). The troubling compromising of civil liberties, issuance of secret search warrants, unwarranted wiretapping, the turning over of virtually everyone's phone records, and the justification of torture out of fear of terrorism. So, this article for Christians following 9/11 is even more on point today. Read it in light of what has happened in the past 5 years as a result of rampant fear of terrorism.]

No Spirit of Fear

The events of September 11 left America with more than buildings destroyed and lives lost. They left us with a spirit of fear. These attackers are not called terrorists for nothing. Their most powerful weapons are not bombs or guns, explosives or anthrax. Their most powerful weapon is fear.

A few recent news stories shows how pervasive this fear has become. An airliner was forced to land and fighter jets scrambled because a man of Arab descent was smoking in the rest room and became angry when told to stop. An IRS processing facility was shut down today because a woman found some sort of powdery substance on an envelope. Tweezers and fingernail files are not being allowed on planes. While these may or may not be reasonable precautions given the current situation, they are indicative of the level of fear present in the country.

This spirit of fear is even infecting the church. I heard someone a couple of weeks ago decide not to go to a church meeting unless she could go with someone, because she was afraid.

A month after the attacks, many people are still depressed and unable to sleep for fear. This brings to mind the scripture referring to the last days with "Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken" (Luke 21.26) Yet, I Timothy 1.7 says "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." If anything, Christians should be the calm presence in the midst of the storms facing us today.

So, then how can be fight the fear.

1) Trust in God first, and man second.

While security precautions are good, your protection as a Christian does not depend on them. The Psalmist said, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God." (Psalm 20.7) Our security lies in God. Does this mean we don't
take reasonable precautions? Certainly not. As always, one needs to lock their doors at night, be aware of their surroundings, be patient with the delays at airports, but lets not become obsessive about safety. Nothing is totally safe, but God is always faithful.

2.) Don't Overdose on News Reports.

Certainly we are all interested in what is happening, but don't spend hours of your time watching the same scenes of the World Trade Towers collapsing. Set a limit on the number of hours you spend watching such reports. Get more of your news from newspapers and news magazines. These are less visually involving than television.

3.) Turn a deaf ear to rumors.

Especially with the Internet, rumors can spread rapidly. Somebody'scousins, sister's wife's best friend's husband's brother heard from his butcher whose son is in the CIA that..... These types of stories are invariably untrue and serve only to inspire unwarranted fear. If there is a legitimate, imminent, known threat, the official agencies will make the announcement through regular media outlets. Even in these cases listen for specifics. A warning that "Officials are reporting that a terrorist attack is likely to occur during the next few weeks, possibly on the west coast," may be useful for law enforcement officials to keep their eyes open, but means very little in the way of assessing your own personal vulnerability.

4.) Assess the real level of personal vulnerability.

The events of September 11 were horrific, but put in perspective, your chances of being killed in an automobile accident are much higher than being killed in a terrorist attack even on the ground in the Middle East. If you live in a small town, it is unlikely that you will be hit by a terrorist attack simply because, terrorists go after population centers for the most carnage. If you fly, consider that only a few planes have been hijacked out of American airports in the past 25 years.

5.) Live a normal life.

If you cancel your vacation plans, stop going to large gatherings, fear drinking water, check for bombs everywhere, stop going to concerts, plays, or evangelistic crusades, or willingly sacrifice your basic freedoms of travel, assembly, and free speech then the
terrorists have already won. Fear is their weapon and their goal. They have no realistic hope of conquering a superpower, but they can bring us to our knees in fear and in so doing we conquer ourselves. The pay off for conquering the fear in our own hearts is more than simply more joyful living for us as Christians, but by replacing the spirit of fear with the spirit of confidence in Christ, we can share peace with others around us. We can point those who are fearful around us to the one who has conquered all fear.

In so doing, we defeat Satan's plans. We turn what he meant for evil into something God is transforming into good.