“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32)
Fear is in no sense a modern problem. It is as old as the history of man. It is an instinctive emotion, ranging from vague uneasiness to shocks that may stop the heart and paralyze the power to act.
It is not an evil in itself. The capacity to fear is given for the purpose of self-preservation. It rolls the soldier into his foxhole when the artillery opens up and the bombs begin to scream. It keeps people from stepping in front of cars, trying to swim Niagara, or violating the rights of others.
Some things are rightfully to be feared. A man lives longer if he is afraid to drive too fast, to become a slave to drink, to do wrong. Fearing God in the right sense is the secret of a long and happy life.
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