Fear…….and Risk

We deal with fear every day. Usually, it is small things; but, often it is the fear of a major disaster. Fear is our natural response to risk. And risk is the possibility of an impending problem……..possibly a disaster.

Human nature is complex. There are many things that we do very well. Assesing risk, however, is not one of them. We tend to give more weight to risks that are near……and less weight to risks that are more remote. We do this even when the remote risk is the more dire. We are more worried about being late for work than we are worried about our employer closing down.

We also have a penchant for simply ignoring risks. There are many reasons: We just don’t want to do the work needed to avoid the risk. The risk runs contrary to our politics……..contrary to the people we have chosen as leaders. Perhaps dealing with the risk requires us to do something that we don’t want to do…….or stop doing something that we want to do.

Because we do not prioritize…….we do not stratify……risk well, we fear inaccurately.

I have often said, “If you are going to worry…….at least worry accurately “.

So……here is an exercise in worrying accurately. Make a list of the things that you fear today…….the risks that you face…….the things that you are worried about…..today.

Bills
Your children
Covid-19
The mid term election
Car troubles
Black mold in your basement

These risks share a common feature……..they are temporal. They are limited to our physical world. They are limited to our lifetimes. Every one of them will be gone…..resolved, in a few years……when we die. For me, these risks will simply expire…….in about 20 years. It may be longer for you. It may be shorter for me. But, these risks will all go away…..soon.

Because these risks are self limited, our fears about these risks should also be limited……..by time if nothing else. These risks…..and our fears are entirely temporal.

Now consider one more risk. This one is more remote. And this one, unfortunately, is not limited……by time……or by anything else.

Hell

The fact that hell is eternal means that this risk is infinite. The fact that hell is irrevocable means that it cannot be fixed.

I propose that an irrevocable, eternal, infinite risk belongs at the top of your list of risks……..way ahead of any temporal risk.

I propose that hell belongs at the top of the list of things that you fear.

In fact, the gap between hell and the number 2 risk on your list is so great that compared to it, all of your other worries……all of your other fears……are inconsequential.

The Bible gives us cyrstal clear guidance on the topic of fear. Over and over it tells us not to worry…..not to fear temporal risks.

Then…….over and over………the Bible tells us to fear God. And we really don’t like that. We want God to be a kind……gentle, soft focus kind of guy who bails us out of trouble…….and he is. God is the God of paradise. But……God is also the God of hell. The Bible repeatedly tells us to worry……..about eternal risks…….about hell.

God rules hell……..not Satan. Satan knows what is coming for him……and he is terrified……Satan has his risk stratification nailed down cold. He is worried about one thing……..hell.

So……ironically…….there is something that we can learn from Satan. Like Satan, we really only have one thing to fear………hell.

When the Bible repeatedly tells us to fear God, it is a reminder that we are barreling toward a fork in the road……..a fork that God, not Satan, is in control of. One day we will round a corner and there it will be. No time to brake. No chance to decide. The decision at that point is up to God. And God’s decision will hinge on a single decision that we have already made. Do we humble ourselves and accept God’s sovereignty……..or do we wear the crown ourselves.

So, if we get our risk stratification right, we take steps today to be sure that we are lined up for the safe side of the fork in the road……the fork that is our ultimate destiny…..our true destiny.

Or…….we could just ignore or deny the risk……and hope that we are right.

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell……..So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Jesus, ESV

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

David, ESV

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on.”

Matthew, ESV