When Fear Blinds You to Reality

Have you ever been so afraid that you were blind to what was really happening around you? I know I’ve experienced this. Especially when the pressures of life began to have a profound effect on more than just myself, but also my family, or friends, and others around me.

The most recent corporate example of this can be summed up in the 2016 election. Over and over and over again I heard about Hillary Clinton and how horrible things would be under her:

More abortion.

Less religious freedoms.

2nd Amendment rights taken away.

The future of our children and grandchildren at stake.

More debt.

On and on and on.

Fear became so overwhelming in the minds of many bible-believing evangelicals, from lay believers to notable evangelical leaders, to the point that they began to convince themselves that the only recourse they could take was to vote for someone who embodies the complete opposite of their values and faith because he wasn’t “as bad” as Hillary, and represents…(according to them)…a less scary future than one saddled with Hillary.

Their fear blinded them to reality. The reality that a) Trump is not better than Hillary, b) that our credibility as a body of believers will be questioned, and c) that we fight with God on our side…Romans 8:31 ESV could not be any more clear on that:

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

They were literally blinded by fear to the reality of what was going on around them. And they took that fear into the voting booth instead of courage knowing that God was on our side and is always on the side of the righteous.

And thus, what could’ve been a great statement of faith and courage in God became a great statement of fear, and a massive revelation of the hearts of many in the American church.

This is where I think we are now…I think the church needs a reminder like the servant of Elisha right before an attack by the Syrian armies was about to take place. Here’s what happened in

Here’s what happened in 2 Kings 6:11-15 NKJV:

Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was greatly troubled by this thing; and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?” And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” So he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and get him.” And it was told him, saying, “Surely he is in Dothan.” Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. ¹⁵ And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”

The Syrian armies had surrounded the city of Dothan where Elisha was. The king of Syria sent horses, and chariots, and a great army…ALL for ONE man…a man of God. Why? Because the man of God (Elisha) had been hearing from God concerning the plans of the king of Syria to attack Israel, and Elisha would speak to the king and warn him of these plans. The king of Syria wanted this to end. So he thought he would take matters into his own hands.

Little did he know what he was up against.

And for some reason, the servant of Elisha (who had likely seen many amazing things by God while serving Elisha) had forgotten who was on their side. And this was the prayer of Elisha for his servant in 2 Kings 6:16-17 ESV:

So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

There was literally an army of God standing on their side.

And guess what?

You and I…WE have the same army on our side.

But too often we allow our fear to blind us to this reality. It happens to us all at some point. Unfortunately this year it was a mass blindness that infected the whole church in America.

The reality is that we have the hosts of heaven on our side. That God, the creator of everything, authority over all things and all people, fights on our side.

We need a reminder again.

Clearly.

We need our eyes opened to reality.

The reality that we fight with a greater army than any army a mere man can muster.

The reality that God has all authority and a place in ALL things. Not just church things.

The army of heaven is on our side…and if God is for us…who can be against us?