I was reading in 1 Peter today … I’ve read 1 Peter a lot, yet still I notice phrases that I really took no notice of before. Today it was, “And who will harm you if you are deeply committed to what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear or be disturbed [frightened], but honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts.” [1 Peter 3:13-15 HCSB]
Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened. That’s the part I don’t remember taking note of when I’ve read this letter before.
Fear is common to all of us. The doctors says, “I’ve got some bad news.” Or there is a knock on our door in the middle of the night. Our children get in trouble. We lose our job. Fear can hit us from any angle, at any time.
We know the world is a fearful place. As long as man has free will to choose evil, the world will not be a safe place. It wasn’t safe in Peter’s Day; it is certainly not safe in ours. Yet Peter admonishes us to not fear what the world fears.
These verses come in the main section of the letter, which speaks of God’s grace in suffering. They also introduce the important spiritual principle that the fear of the Lord conquers every other fear.
As Christians, we are faced with crises just like everyone else. And we can be tempted to give in to our fears and make the wrong decisions. But if we trust Christ as Lord in our hearts, we need never fear men or circumstances. Our enemies might HURT us, but they cannot HARM us. Only we can harm ourselves if we fail to trust God.
