Fear can feel like faithfulness. Many Adventists grew up with charts of end-time events, warnings about the mark of the beast and a quiet worry that they would never be good enough. Fear may grab attention for a moment, but it rarely grows love, joy or a lasting walk with God. Here are eight better places to put our attention.
1. Jesus and His character, seen in the way He welcomed, healed and forgave.
2. Loving our neighbors and serving the community right where we live.
3. The gift of Sabbath, a weekly day of rest, worship and delight.
4. Honest Bible study that makes room for real questions.
5. Grace, which God gives freely to people who could never earn it.
6. Family and friendships in the church, at the potluck table and beyond.
7. Hope in the Second Coming, looking forward to seeing Jesus instead of panicking over every headline.
8. Caring for our health and for the creation God called good.
Paul wrote to Timothy, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV). Jesus told His friends “Do not be afraid” again and again, and He still means it. His perfect love casts out fear, and His people were never meant to live braced for disaster.
So here is a challenge for this week. Pick one item from the list and practice it on purpose. Invite a neighbor over for lunch, read a Gospel chapter with a friend, or spend a Sabbath afternoon outdoors. Then watch how much less room fear has when Jesus fills the space.
Photo: “Misty morning sunlight shining through the trees in the forest near Viana do Castelo, Portugal” by Sergei Gussev, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (Flickr). Cropped, darkened behind the title, text added. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Misty_morning_sunlight_shining_through_the_trees_in_the_forest_near_Viana_do_Castelo,_Portugal,_January_2024_(53524128465).jpg
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