Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

I've thought a lot over the past couple of years about the role that fear plays in my life, and the lives of others. I think of it as the most powerful motivator that human beings have. Back in the day I used to play a lot of video games, and there's a quote from a game called Max Payne: "I don't know about angels, but it's fear that gives men wings". I learnt a lot from video games.

What I think about is how different my life seems to Jesus' life. I think about how many things I do or don't do out of fear, and try and get a sense from the Gospels about what role fear played in Jesus' life and ministry. I find it impossible to read the Gospels and come to the conclusion that Jesus was ever motivated by fear. I don't mean that he was never afraid, I'm sure that's not the case, but rather that when he was afraid he never allowed it to be the fear that made his choice for him. I think of Gethsemene where the Biblical witness gives the impression that he was most certainly afraid, yet what motivated him; what did he choose? "Not my will, but Yours".

I have no doubt that Jesus was never once motivated by fear. Think about your own life. Think about the things you do or don't do because you are afraid. Think about what you say or don't say because you are afraid. Think about the prison you find yourself in because you are afraid of what people are thinking, or rather, afraid of what you think people are thinking.

Now imagine living in freedom. Not free from fear, but free from the power of fear. Free from having your choices dictated to you by that gnawing rat in your soul. Think about that kind of freedom. That's how Christ lived.

Did you know that the first emotion expressed by Adam in the Bible is fear? "I heard you coming and I hid because I was afraid". Letting fear control your decisions is a Fruit of the Fall, certainly not a Fruit of the Spirit. Rather, Galatians 5 tells us that walking in the Spirit leads to self-control. In other words, you chooose. You are not dictated to by your fear, loathing or envy. You choose. Sure, you can still choose to let those Fruits of the Fall have the final say - or you can choose something different. You can choose the path that Christ walked.

How would your life look if it was the Holy Spirit rather than fear that gave you wings?