When I was a young kid, I was playing with some neighbors in a field behind our home. I sat down on an old stump to rest. I heard, “Don’t move!” I froze. I had unknowingly sat down on a garter snake’s nest. I was covered with snakes. Fear of snakes was permanently etched into my psyche. Just the thought of that moment, 65 years later, still makes me squeamish. It wasn’t until I was in my late 50’s that God delivered and healed me of this fear. I still don’t like snakes, but the crippling fear is gone.

Fear isn’t new to our human experience. Adam and Eve disobeyed God, ate the forbidden fruit and hid from Him in fear. Israel’s fear of Goliath, the giant Philistine, paralyzed their army. The disciples of Jesus woke Him from His sleep in a boat during a storm, fearing for their lives. They deserted Him in fear and scattered upon His arrest; then they hid behind locked doors in the upper room for fear of the Jews.

Even outside of biblical times, man still is crippled by fear. In our own day, we have COVID, mass shootings, a crumbling economy. We don’t want to lose our jobs or be rejected by our peers. Cancer or Alzheimer’s sets us into panic.

Jesus told His disciples a number of times not to be afraid, yet they didn’t get it. So, what happened? The same group of guys who were paralyzed in fear 50 days earlier, now go out and proclaim boldly the mighty works of God. In fact, they tell a large crowd of more than 3000 that it was they who had crucified the Son of God. What happened to these guys who were governed by fear, to fearlessly lay down their lives to bear witness to Jesus crucified and risen from the dead? Pentecost! What happened was they received the Holy Spirit, the promised One Jesus told them He and the Father would send.

During His public ministry, He had told them, “be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) St. John tells us that perfect love casts out all fear. (1 Jn. 4:18) That perfect love is the Holy Spirit who the Father and Son pour into our hearts. They send the Holy Spirit not only to be with us, but to dwell in us (Jn. 14:17). Because the Holy Spirit dwells within us, we have every spiritual . We have what is needed to combat our fears; we have the Holy Spirit.blessing in the heavens (Eph.1:3)

Yet in our ignorance and fear of this mysterious, unknown Person of the Trinity, we prevent Him from working with and through us. Just as God delivered me and set me free from my paralyzing fear of snakes, so too, He can set you free from your many fears. This Counselor, sent in His name, desires to dwell in us, to set us free, to embolden us to fearlessly love. Allow Him to stir into flame the fire of His love.

For Reflection:

What are the fears in my life that tend to cripple me? Do I trust in the immense love of God to heal me of my most inhibiting fears? Is the Holy Spirit someone I fear, an unknown, a casual acquaintance, or a personal friend of mine? How might I stir into the flame the Holy Spirit dwelling in me?

Prayer:

O Holy Spirit, I ask that You dwell richly in me. Set me free of my fears, so I may experience the Father’s great love for me.

(blogged May 15, 2024)
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