I noticed a skeleton hanging from a light post, elaborate spider webs covering bushes, and a witch splat on the side of a house. It must be time for Halloween. It's the season when we poke fun of fear. Some people decorate the exterior of their house with scary stuff. Other people dress up in costumes and attend parties. Children celebrate Halloween by parading door to door and receiving sweet treats in their trick-or-treat bags. It's all supposed to be a lot of fun. You might be interested in some Halloween history or how Halloween is connected to Christianity. I found this blog to be helpful.
However, beneath the celebrative veneer lurks a distinct reality. Fear isn't funny. Fear is very scary and it often keeps us from doing some amazing things. Very smart people study fear. They educate and help us understand our fears. But, all the education in the world doesn't help us unless we work through the tangled web of emotional, mental, physical and psychological barriers ourselves.
Fear can be very helpful. It heightens our natural fight or flight response to certain people, events or situations. Many of us have experienced an internal unexpected feeling that triggers an intense awareness of our surroundings. Maybe you stop, listen, look side to side. We are much like our favorite pet which seems to be able to sense the change in a situation or recognize that a sweet treat is within its grasp.
Really Scary Movie is the title for our October message series. It's not based on the film genre that generates billions of dollars for the entertainment industry. It is based on the really scary movie that plays in the theater of your mind. This series treats fear with respect. We'll study fear from God's point of view and search scripture for how God tells us over and over again to treat fear. The most awesome outcome for this series is for you to identify whether or not fear stands in the way of accomplishing what God has called you to do for his Kingdom. We can help you take steps to achieve what God asks you to do. Ultimately, we can share our fears and inspire each other to overcome the ones that limit us. Imagine what could happen if we can all learn to respect fear, push through it and work to fulfill the God-honoring possibilities of building his Kingdom here. We could change the world.
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