I am often amazed by how much people’s lives revolve around their fears. When I was in seminary, I read a book entitled, The Fear of Dying (I think that was the title) and I was amazed by how one person’s atheistic view of life could strengthen the fear of death further.
The author spoke of love, pleasure and serenity as evidence of the lack of fear. However, he finds that those moments where love, pleasure and serenity are fleeting and few. Therefore, he concludes that everything we do in this world is driven by our constant desire to find those moments of pleasure, love and serenity.
This drive is the reason why we do what we do and say what we say. It explains the man who cheats on his wife, sheds light on why someone kills, reveal to us why some people run for office despite being in a fish bowl.
As a Christian, I absolutely disagree with this writer’s position on life and death. I agree that people are often driven by fear and it does impel us to some degree to do certain things. However, I believe that a lot of the things I do in this life is not based on death but on my desire to do something for the Lord.
I can confidently tell you that I do things because I love my Lord, my wife and a lot of the people in my life (I wish I could say all). But I don’t love them because I am searching for the fleeting pleasure of love or serenity or the need to be loved by back.
I love because I am driven because I believe in the Words and Works of Christ and the tenets of the Christian faith. I also lived in a place (my third orphanage) where everyone was for themselves and rarely did I ever observe animal savagery like what the author speaks of when humans driven for the those three elements of life (love, pleasure and serenity). I saw some of the most heroic and selfless acts in my life at the exact moments when selfishness and total depravity should be done.
I believe that a life in Christ, wholeheartedly, is a life that is not completely devoid of fear but fear is rationed and the motivations for life is driven by a desire to serve and be lost in the crowd than for any other reason.
Are you driven by your fears? How much of your life would you honestly say is driven by the desire to serve your Lord through your neighbors? Ask, ponder and pray! See what happens…
Prayer: Dear Lord of our lives, help us to always be driven by you and rest in the knowledge of your love and your eternal salvation offered to us. Amen.
