Why Christ Hated Fear in His Followers

Nothing riled up Jesus more than fear in His followers. He tolerated ambition, presumption, and even competition, all self-serving traits, but never FEAR.

Why Did He Hate Fear

The reason fear is so intolerable to Christ is that fear questions His reign and rule. When I am in fear I am giving preeminence to another force other than God. Fear believes something is more powerful than God and assumes His weakness and inability to handle the situation. By Christ’s response nothing is as offensive to Him as believing He is powerless and less than God in our lives. It didn’t matter what the situation, He hated fear. Can anyone think of any we might have right now?!

When people are in fear they can be controlled. Fear makes us nimble minded and completely influenceable. Yes, like a bull with a ring in our nose we can be led wherever someone wants us to go. Remember my stories of the sheep? The same applies for us humans too. Additionally fear makes us unable to hear God’s Voice. Fear annihilates our faith. This is why people try to use it to gain power over us. Simply, it’s effective! If I am in fear all I can hear is the fear-mongers spouting fearful information.

Being Fearful

Fear tempts me to give my volition to another. When I am in fear I am no longer following my Shepherd in faith. No, I am out of my mind looking to save my life—fight or flight anyone?! And if I attempt to save my life, the Word of God says I WILL lose it (Matthew 16:25). Fear is all about saving my life, believe me I know. As one who has suffered from inordinate fears in my life, I know when I was in fear I was focused on saving it. Sure I might have pulled others along in the wake of my process of saving but ultimately I was SELF-SAVING! Fear makes us betray our values, question our God, and lose our moral compass. In fear we will do what it takes to survive, even leave God.

I share this all because fear is rampant right now. People are inflating our fears to coax us away from God. How can I prove this? When anyone is using fear in our lives, it is to displace Christ and take control. There is no other reason. It isn’t to make us safer or more secure. It isn’t to position us for something better. People use fear in our lives to grasp control of our actions and life. This is God’s place alone and not for any man, not even me towards myself.

Harboring Fear

We will answer for the fears we harbor and pet. We will be even more accountable for our fears than those screaming voices of dissent. I will answer for where I let fear rule and overthrow God in my life. I won’t be able to point a finger and say, they made me afraid. Nope! Christ had no sympathy for the fearful disciples and He won’t have sympathy for my fears either (Mark 4:35-40). I’ll let you read between the lines of this post but I am casting off fear as a source of my faith. This doesn’t mean we can go live rebellious lives doing exactly what we want, it just means I have a God on His Throne and I am well cared for regardless of the situation.

Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution He will come to save you.”
Isaiah 35:4

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
Romans 8:15

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:34