Sunday, June 5, 2011

Well placed fear produces great courage

I have been looking over the different things I been writing about and I see a common thread. It's not just a common thread in my writing it is also a major theme of my life. Day after day situation after situation I keep coming back to this question,"God, how do I do this? How am I supposed to live out what I believe?"

I think about the verse in Philippians chapter two that says,"...work out you salvation with fear and trembling" I have had this on my mind a lot lately and so I looked it up to see what the context is because my question is,"How do I work out my salvation with fear and trembling?"

"...work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you both to will and do his good pleasure."Philippians 2:12b-13 I did research on the word fear and found that it meant to be in awe of God to respect and reverence Him. If I have an awe of God and believe that He is at work in my life then I don't have to be afraid of the situations I find myself in.

As I meditate on what my life would look like if I really lived this way I think of a man whose name was Tom Jackson. Tom was a quiet man a man with a deep reverence for God. The reason for Tom's calm was his belief in the sovereignty of God. He believed that if you had a true fear of God you didn't need to be afraid of anything else.

Tom's faith was tested in battle. It was at the battle of Bull Run. Shells and bullets were flying all around him, Jackson stayed on his horse calm and collected as if nothing was going on. Brigadier General Bernard Bee saw this and told the troops,"There stands Jackson like a stone wall lets determine to die here with him."

Lord Jesus, thank you that I don't have to be anxious about "getting it right". Thank you that You are working in my life to will and do Your good pleasure. Help me to be strong  courageous and faithful.

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