The greatest, the quickest killer
Of men is not a gun
Not the one wielding it
Not the bullets oozing out
Not even death or grave:
It is fear of whatever we dread.
For as long as we run, it wins
Until we stop, confront and overcome
When we hide, fear rules
Faith wins when we stand.

My life is simple and modest by choice. However, in the course of one of my transitions, I had to share accommodations with a relative whose style varied from mine. Apart from the fact that my work entails serious considerations to health, safety, environment and security (which unconsciously has equally become my lifestyle,) I work for an organization that takes incidents and near misses very serious and constantly emphasizes proactive prevention. I took my safety gospel along and though it wasn’t always accepted or adhered to, I couldn’t give up.

Back in college, after a rescue operation that exposed the content of our room, some of the rescuers returned to rob the room but God’s intervention spared my life – story for another day. Add this to my battle with fear post the personal tragedies I’d been through, and the fact that my relatives went full blast to elaborately celebrate a remarkable event. Contrary to my suggestions, guests moved around the house as they pleased. I had hoped to escape it but my entrance turned out conspicuous. I observed the guests and was terrified by some. That night, I couldn’t sleep.

I heard every noise, I felt every wind, until morning. I eventually went on my knees to confess my fears to the Lord: I was concerned the place could be attacked. That night, I determined I was moving out. The next day, I was out house hunting. Considering my situation, the arrangement was temporary but that day, fear drove me to seek to pay whatever I have to in order to get myself far away from such dreaded exposure and the potential consequences. Those were desperate times and people can do the unimaginable. In my mind, I didn’t want to witness that.

Then the Lord met me in the course of the search – so you think this is where you will be safe? At first, I reasoned that at the very least, I would have done the best I could rather than be a sitting duck. Then the brother with whom I had gone to check out places, unaware of my fears, shared a touching testimony of God’s timely intervention and I knew that was God talking to me. I could hear the Lord reaching out to my frightened heart, telling me that He is aware of my condition and fears, asking me to trust Him instead of my fears, prodding me to not dabble into a major decision because of fear.

As God’s Word permeated me, faith disarmed fear. It began to dawn that when in obedience to fear we run from a goat, we end up in the belly of a tiger. When fear spurs our decisions, we end up in the trap we sought to escape. The motivation for our actions should not and never be fear. Love and faith are more compelling and beneficial forces. It was not easy but that night, I chose not to move or build another abode without God. I chose to remain where I was since that was where God wanted me at the time. I chose to trust that in His faithfulness, He will protect and preserve me. I acknowledged that I don’t know it all and can’t save myself. I returned the reins I had snatch in fear back into the hands of Him who knows the end from the beginning, who alone is able to keep and perfect all that concerns me. All that I feared were needless: God kept me well and safe.

Are you afraid, don’t hide from it. Turn your fears to the Lord. He is able to empower you to confront and overcome your fears. He is faithful to preserve you from all that you dread. None of us has what it takes to save a hair from our head. We can only do what we can but at the end of the day, God is in control. I am a living proof: we are not preserved by our security measures: God guards, God guides, God perfects. May the holy One deliver you from fear and preserve you from harm, amen.

Glory!