Fear Not

Introduction

According to "Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible," there are nine versions of the word "Fear" that appear throughout the bible. Their forms of use and number of respective occurrences are:

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Old Testament:

Fear 316; Feared 55; Fearest 16; Fearful 5; Fearfully 1; Fearfulness 3; 

Fearing 1; Feareth 16; Fears 3 

New Testament:

Fear 84; Feared 19; Fearest 4; Fearful 6; Fearfully 0; Fearfullness 0; 

Fearing7; Feareth 4; Fear 1

Totals:

Fear 400; Feared 74; Fearest 20; Fearful 11; Fearfully 1; Fearfullness 3;

Fearing8; Feareth 20; Fear 4

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This results in a total number of 524 verses that involve "Fear." And there are nearly as many that involve the different tenses of fear's related terms: 'affright,' 'afraid,' 'despair,' 'distress,' 'dread,' 'scared,' 'terrified,' 'trials,' 'tribulations' and 'troubled.'

Within this collective, predominantly two types of fear are represented: fear of the world and fear of God. Fear of the world can be understood as, in the Greek, 'deos,' or 'faithlessness.' This is expressed as an emotion of dread or alarm 'caused' by danger or timidity, and it represents a reactive effect.

Fear of God is, in the Hebrew, 'yare,' to 'morally reverence'; equivalently, in the Greek, 'phobeo,' meaning to 'exceedingly reverence.' This is expressed as a profound reverence and awe toward God, and represents a moral choice.

But out of the 524, there are 182 verses that either directly or indirectly tell or exemplify for us to not be afraid. These 182 verses can be likened to puzzle pieces. Putting them together produces a picture that reveals what Faith over Fear looks like.

More so, the following verses can also be likened to brushstrokes, each stroke an imprint upon our heart and mind. Practically (to mix metaphors), they serve as the risers on a key, triggering tumblers to the locks of fear that limit human potential. As the painting progresses within us fear falls away, faith revealing itself in its rightful place; as you read, more strategically investing in and powerfully ruling through our lives from the inside out.

By the end of this process, with painting complete, we realize that it's a picture of us spiritually self actualized: What we look like at our full potentials as God's fearless children of light. As a result we become the painter, the world our canvas; daily our actions the strokes that dispel darkness.

In this way our example awakens the light of faith in our brothers and sisters. Considering the importance of this mission, I'm excited by us taking this journey from Fear2Faith together.