“All we have to do is trust that nothing happening in the here and now is an accident, or is without purpose. Believe that, and you will be truly fearless.”
from “Fearless (Dominion Trilogy Book #2)” by Robin Parrish
To really get a feeling for what this says, we need to understand that fearless doesn’t mean fear less.
No – fearless means no fear.
That’s no fear, as in when Jesus said this –
Jn 14:25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Do not be afraid.
in fact,
Do not let your hearts (even) be troubled.
That’s a very strong statement.
That can only be made by someone who has the ability to control everything.
Does God pull the strings on literally everything?
The question becomes, what does control everything mean?
Some say that God literally is the one that makes everything happen – everything that has ever happened, is happening, and will happen, is because God initiates things, makes them happen, literally pulls all the strings – including even all of our “choices” during our lives.
The thing is – if that was true – if God literally pulls all the strings of everything – that would also include the strings controlling whether or not we are afraid, or even mildly troubled.
If that was the case then, Jesus telling us not to be afraid would be pointless – because we’d have no control over whether or not we were afraid in the first place.
It’s a contradiction so basic that there has to be something in the original assumption that’s wrong.
What does God is in control mean?
Well, we know that God certainly can control everything. However, He has not chosen to do so. The contradiction we just saw tells us that He has, in fact, given us the ability to have some measure of control over our emotions,
From the context of what Jesus said, we can also see something else –
Jn 14:23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
Jn 14:25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
We see that God has also given us the ability to either love Him or not love Him.
Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit in that passage as well. God’s Spirit – in us. A power we cannot even begin to imagine.
When we have the Holy Spirit, and begin to learn how to trust and follow God – then we begin to realize that whatever happens in this life – it cannot take away the promised eternal life with Him. It just cannot happen. Period.
All of that is how we reach the point of the opening quote about being fearless –
“All we have to do is trust that nothing happening in the here and now is an accident, or is without purpose.”
Once we believe in Jesus – God will make everything that happens in our lives come out for good. If we let Him. Even an attack by Satan – if God allows it – will be turned around and used by God against Satan. If we let Him. So “bad” things will still happen – but we don’t need to be afraid of them, because God will ultimately take care of us.
And that’s where the trust comes in.
“All we have to do” – is certainly easier said than done. However, with the Holy Spirit and with growing faith – we can get better and better at the trusting part.
And as we do that, we become less fearful – we fear less – and with the power of the Holy Spirit, can be come fearless – no fear. At all. Because we trust in God’s promise of eternal life.