In Psalms 23:4 we read, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.” This passage along with others are often considered to mean that if I am a strong Christian nothing dangerous or uncertain should bother me.  There should be no anxiety.  This of course is not the case. Would we conclude that Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane was simply carefree about his impending crucifixion (Luke 22:44)? And what about the Apostle Paul who at Corinth said, “I was with you in weakness and in fear and trembling” (1 Cor. 2:3). Was this concern and fear contrary to the Scripture?  Certainly not.

So how are we to consider fear in light of these passages and examples?  The word fear used in 1 Cor. 2:3 is defined by Vines as, “phobos; first had the meaning of flight, that which is caused by being scared, that which may cause flight.”  When we consider the teaching in this light we see that the meaning is letting fear cause us to cease from doing that which is inevitable or what must be done.

As Christians we must do our best to follow the Scripture regardless of personal consequence. We must love the Lord so that nothing stands between us and Him (Rom 8:28).  When we are afraid we must push on, trusting that the Lord is our helper (Heb. 13:6) and knowing and expecting a peace which is beyond our mental faculties to understand (Phil 4:7). Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. What a blessing.

Keep the Faith