"And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
Mark 4:40-41
These verses come right after the disciples encounter a storm and wake Christ up because they are afraid of dying. He calms the storm and then asks why they were afraid.
I think the answer to that question isn't something that Jesus was actually unaware of, but rather that it was meant to make them (and us) think about the idea that faith can take us beyond our fears. Of course it is natural to be afraid in situations like the one they were in, but Christ was teaching them that they didn't need to be afraid, because God would take care of them.
I think the same question, and idea, applies to the fear that we encounter in our own lives. God tells us elsewhere that "the righteous need not fear" (1 Nephi 22:17,22), "if ye are prepared ye shall not fear" (D&C 38:30), and "perfect love casteth out fear" (1 John 4:18). I think sometimes that it is hard for us to understand what God is saying because bad things do happen, and God isn't really bubble wrapping the world and preventing that.
God doesn't say to us "thou shalt not fear." He knows that some things that are going to happen in our lives are scary. Rather his question "why are ye so fearful" reminds us that we don't *have* to fear. It is a choice, and his question is an offer. He's trying to help us understand that we don't *need* to fear. If we turn to him, he can help us learn to face our fears and overcome all of our obstacles rather than being paralyzed or giving up. God is in control, and if we stick with him and trust him, things will work out. We don't have to be afraid, even at the worst of times, because God promises us a happy ending. Not saying that things might not get scary or dark in the current chapter, but if we have faith and keep turning the pages, things will always work out.
Today, let's have faith that God is in control of the plot, and that no matter what we go through, as long as we stick with God, we are working our way towards happiness and peace.
And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
Mark 4:40-41
These verses come right after the disciples encounter a storm and wake Christ up because they are afraid of dying. He calms the storm and then asks why they were afraid.
I think the answer to that question isn't something that Jesus was actually unaware of, but rather that it was meant to make them (and us) think about the idea that faith can take us beyond our fears. Of course it is natural to be afraid in situations like the one they were in, but Christ was teaching them that they didn't need to be afraid, because God would take care of them.
I think the same question, and idea, applies to the fear that we encounter in our own lives. God tells us elsewhere that "the righteous need not fear" (1 Nephi 22:17,22), "if ye are prepared ye shall not fear" (D&C 38:30), and "perfect love casteth out fear" (1 John 4:18). I think sometimes that it is hard for us to understand what God is saying because bad things do happen, and God isn't really bubble wrapping the world and preventing that.
God doesn't say to us "thou shalt not fear." He knows that some things that are going to happen in our lives are scary. Rather his question "why are ye so fearful" reminds us that we don't *have* to fear. It is a choice, and his question is an offer. He's trying to help us understand that we don't *need* to fear. If we turn to him, he can help us learn to face our fears and overcome all of our obstacles rather than being paralyzed or giving up. God is in control, and if we stick with him and trust him, things will work out. We don't have to be afraid, even at the worst of times, because God promises us a happy ending. Not saying that things might not get scary or dark in the current chapter, but if we have faith and keep turning the pages, things will always work out.
Today, let's have faith that God is in control of the plot, and that no matter what we go through, as long as we stick with God, we are working our way towards happiness and peace.
No comments:
Post a Comment