If you’re a fan of Shakespeare, you know that his heroes always have a serious character flaw. It makes for a good story and teaches some important lessons. The same is true of our Bible hero Abraham. His flaw? Fear.
Twice Abraham succumbed to his fear that a ruler would kill him and steal his wife (Gen. 12:11-20; 20:2-13). Fearing for his life, he deceived both Pharaoh and King Avimelekh by saying, “She is my sister”—in essence welcoming the king to take Sarah into his harem (20:2). With fear dictating his actions, he put at risk God’s plan that through him and Sarah a great nation would arise (12:1-3).
But before we judge Abraham, we should ask ourselves a few questions. For fear of losing our job, would we compromise our integrity? For fear of appearing old-fashioned, would we set aside our values? For fear of being ridiculed or misunderstood, would we refuse to observe the commandments in the public domain where all can see us? For fear of being identified as a Jew and attacked as a consequence of Israel’s war against Hamas, would you hide your Jewish identity? Only one thing will conquer our fears: tenacious faith in God’s presence, protection, power, and promises. Let me add though, having tenacious faith doesn’t mean taking foolhardy risks.
If your fear is putting God’s wonderful plans for you at risk, remember that He has faith in you. With God’s help, you can complete your purpose here on earth.
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