1. I wouldn’t say that believers should have absolutely nothing to fear, exactly. God did give us that instinct to help keep us safe and keep us from doing stupid things. Personally, I believe that verse means that we shouldn’t be regularly CONSUMED by fear. Like, don’t let unfettered paranoia rule everything.

    Fear is useful, but as a warning or motivating feeling. It could motivate someone to get rid of an addiction, for example. But then we should assess situations and figure out how to both conquer them and place them in God’s hands. Maybe we don’t kill our worries entirely(we might need them as reminders and motivation) But again, we shouldn’t let that feeling linger in unfettered paranoia.

    I think you were trying to get at some of that by talking about being a steward, but I guess this was my reaction to the ‘fear nothing’ part.

    • Mark Carver says:

      Right, I’m not saying that we should be foolhardy or ignore instinctive warnings. I would be terrified to walk into a lion’s cage. But the difference for believers is what if God told you to go into that lion’s cage, or that ghetto, or that war-torn country, or to that unreached people group? We fear losing our comfort, our life’s work, our reputation, our relationships, our health, and all of those things should be vehemently protected, but if our fear of losing them paralyzes us to God’s calling, then that fear is greater than our faith.

  2. notleia says:

    I’d say that part of it would also be our helplessness. What’s worse, to lose something, or to have it prised out your hands even while you struggle?

What do you think?