I, like many Christians, have lived many years being uptight and fearful, almost obsessed with fear of making mistakes or "wrong" decisions or of being in doctrinal error or "missing God's will" or just not being spiritual
enough, etc, etc. Since discovering and moving into a wider place in God, I've found that some Christians are even offended
by the idea that we don't have to fear God's disapproval or fear that we are
going to "miss His best". Shane Hipps says the following in his book Selling Water by the River:
"Those
of us raised in Christianity often live with a lot of fear. Fear that
we are doing it wrong (whatever 'it' is). Fear that some unfamiliar idea
might hurt us. Fear that God may not like who we are, or what we've
done, or what we think. Fear that a particular interpretation of the
Bible is hurting the Bible or even God. Fear that we, or others, might
be offending God, who apparently has quite fragile feelings, and a
hair-triggered temper. Some religious people are even afraid that other
people are not frightened enough."
Hipps goes on to
say that fear has a legitimate initial role in our early formation in
God in that it teaches us what is needed in order to stay safe (comparable to teaching a child to 'fear' a hot stove):
"Fear is a
developmental ingredient in the life of faith. It is useful in learning
to prevent harm and nurture wisdom ...and helps us develop basic impulse
control...But fear also has some serious limits...
"The
first stage of development is a much safer place to be...But as we
grow, we are more and more moved and opened by Love, or God...fear is about closure and contraction, whereas Love is about
opening and expansion. Love
by nature is free from fear. The process of becoming open by Love can
be unnerving, and it is not for the faint of heart. Doubts emerge when
what we thought were solid foundations begin to feel like shifting sands
beneath our feet. Love opens us more and more to a freedom that moves us beyond self-justification, self-protection, and self-preservation...
"If
we are to access the Living Water Jesus promised, ultimately Love must
become the only thing that governs behavior, not fear...Love does not do
away with all boundaries; instead, it makes use of them in ways that
serve the purpose of Love.
"As we grow, the question we learn to ask moves from What is right or wrong? to What does Love require?"...fear
is actually the absence of Love, not the opposite (of Love)...ridding
ourselves of fear is as simple as letting Love in."
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Yes!!!
ReplyDeleteLove is the place where we are free to meet with God, any time, day or night, and in any circumstance. If we are willing to enter this space where God dwells, we encounter! If we will not enter this place, then we will have to content our selves with knowing 'about' God - this is the difference between knowing about a delicacy and tasting it to 'see that it is good'.
You discipled me in that Nita. At a time when I had no lack of zeal, but needed love and grace more than anything, you schooled me in love. I am so grateful for you.