“And he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.”
- Acts 27:24-25
A couple of weeks ago we talked about what it means to take courage in addressing our fears. In particular what it means when God tells you to take courage. Often when we talk about not being afraid, it is from one human to another. The lesson then goes off into how one should never be afraid or fearful. I don’t think that is how the Bible tells us to deal with our fears, instead, it presents to us a time when God intervenes and instructs them to not be afraid and provides them a comforting word and assurance.
We’re in another chapter that points to this. Paul is voyaging off to Rome under guard from a Centurion and some soldiers. From one boat and then go off to another, and then the storms came. Almost like the Odyssey, Paul’s ship was blown off course with wind and waves. At one point they were wrestling the natural forces for 14 days, and it's at this point where an Angel secretly appeared to Paul and gave him comfort.
Paul was Afraid:
While it may be a stretch to claim that Paul was afraid since the text does not literally claim it. My thought is this, why else would the Angel of God say to him, “Do not be afraid?” Too often our takeaway from those commands is they we should never be afraid. However, if we were never afraid then there would be no command given. The Angel came to provide Paul both with the command and then a reason that it can be trusted.
Fear is natural. Anxiety is natural. Depression is natural. Worry is natural. Stress is natural. All these seemingly negative emotions and feelings are entirely natural and yet we act and talk about them as if we should never experience them. Trying to follow Jesus does not give us an exemption card against natural emotions.
The idea that we should live without feeling fear is dangerous. It may even be idolatrous. It's an idea rooted in Stoic philosophy and fueled by the American tradition to “be a man.” Whatever being a man might be. In my perception, we talk about manhood more like we’re raising Marines than we’re raising Disciples. Not that Disciples are all clouds and rainbows but neither are they warriors and testosterone junkies.
What am I saying is the problem? How we talk about emotions has become more tied to our secular philosophies and traditions than what the Bible presents about human emotion.
Mental Health:
I do think there is hope today, and it comes out of a healthy integration with psychology.
Some circles of Christians are still strongly opposed to psychology because of its base in secular liberalism. But, in my perception, where all truth is God’s truth, psychologists have shed a lot of light on Mental Health, and as a result how we love God with our hearts, souls, minds, and strength.
What I love and appreciate about a good integration between Christian faith and Mental Health is how it can bring us closer to the perfection God calls us to. It helps us address our emotions and humanity instead of just slapping us across the face with some scripture and telling us to deal with it.
A good balance of mental health and faith helps us navigate the times we are wrestling with God as Jacob did. It gives us a clear vision of what matters when we are tempted to not pray or go to God, helping us endure like Daniel to break the law against praying. It helps go from rejecting Jesus to being one of Jesus’ chosen workers, like Peter who rejected Jesus 3 times and then was told to feed the sheep 3 times. It helps us find assurance and hope in God, like Paul who was afraid of the waves and wind and yet found comfort in God who assured him he will make it to Rome.
Take Heart:
So Paul and the soldiers, prisoners, and sailors, all blown off course and deathly afraid that they won’t survive, were charged to take heart in a God many of them did not believe in. Yet Paul was able to bring about a sense of courage to them with his speech. While some still feared, as you will see if you read the rest of the chapter, the Centurion stood by Paul in this and wished to protect Paul.
That Centurion, though afraid, though worried for the lives of his men and prisoners, was able to take heart in crucial points that kept everyone alive. Though the God Paul spoke of was not the God the Centurion worshipped, he took heart.
Taking heart is a lot more than just heeding the words, “do not be afraid.” We do not take courage or heart in that command so much as we take it in the reason behind the command. For Paul, it was that he would surely testify about the resurrection before Caesar in Rome and help establish a church there. For us, well, it can be all sorts of things, but at the Biblical root, we can find comfort and assurance in the promises of God. That is, His Kingdom will surely come, Jesus will one day return. There will be a day when no tears will be shed for eternity. There will be a day when we worship without ceasing and have an unhinged connection to God’s direct presence.
Final Blessing:
So take heart in the storm you sit in. There is a God watching out for you, and perhaps all He is wanting is for you to pray, for you to give Him the slightest thought throughout your day. Or just once a day, turn to your favorite Psalm and give Him praise!
Now may the Lord of Life and Redemption be with you in every step, every breathe, and every heartbeat of your journey!
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