The year was around 1958. At a local firemen’s carnival, the Ferris wheel stopped to fix a mechanical problem. I was perched at the very top, swaying gently in the hot summer breeze till the wheel stopped.
Looking down at the tiny people below, I saw my young life flash before me. How, in an instant, could the exhilaration of climbing this high in the sky turn to terror at being this high in the sky? Get me down from here, and I will never do this again! I thought. Realizing I was totally at the mercy of Carnival Guy far below me, I felt tremendous FEAR.
Circumstances can change so quickly. Given the frailty of human nature, fear usually screams louder than faith unless we get a grip, step into faith, and look at Jesus. That still small voice of faith whispering inside when you’re perched and tottering on one of life’s uncertainties has been started by Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV) reminds us of that: Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Trust Him. What is your greatest fear? Death? Disease? Being alone? Bankruptcy? Starvation? War? Homelessness? All are problems of this world, but Jesus has overcome the world. He said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NLT).
Sometimes, through trauma or tragedy in our lives, fear becomes more deeply set in, and we simply cannot shake it off by getting off the Ferris wheel or distancing ourselves from the fearful situation. A spirit of fear can overcome us, and no matter how much we try to resist the dreadful, tormenting thoughts of fear, they chase and weigh us down. 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us that God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Jesus has a solution of putting even that level of fear out of our lives because He's given us the very authority He has to cast out a spirit of fear and end the torment. Being set free from a spirit of fear is life-changing, and Jesus is all about setting us free!
What He starts, He finishes. Each faith challenge you encounter can end in victory if you trust the Lord completely. It makes pleasing God easy because, without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6 NIV).
Faith, not fear. That’s a God-pleaser’s prayer!
© 2024, Chris Custer Werre
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