I remember when I went to Disneyland with my family when I was just 7 years old. I had been there before, I had seen everything there was to see, but I had never built up the courage to face my ultimate fear: Splash Mountain.

Splash Mountain is an incredibly popular water ride that my sisters and friends all loved! Also, when I think about it now, there is nothing intimidating about it. It is merely a float that lasts for no longer then 10 minutes, finalized by a 50 foot drop into water. Not a big deal! Why was I so afraid?

My fear was rooted in uncertainty. I was so afraid because I did not know for sure that I would be safe, and I knew that I would not be in control of my own safety if I went on it.

“Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need.” –       Psalm 34:9

Fear is all about control! We want to control what happens in our lives, what we have to endure, and what our future will be.

We fear that if we don’t take control, then we won’t get what we want, we will get what we don’t want, or we could potentially lose what we do get. There are 150 documented  passages in the Bible that encourage us to “Fear not” or “Do not be afraid.” Scripture covers often the things that we struggle with most. That is not by accident! God created us, He knows us, and He knows exactly what we are going through at all times!

When it comes to fear—and ultimately how we worship God in our fear—we only have two options. The crossroads of fear is placed before us, and there are only two paths available to take:

Run From God: The first choice is to run from God. If you have made this choice before, please do not feel ashamed because you are not the only one. Since the very first man, Adam, ran and hid from God because he was ashamed of his nakedness, all humans for all time have been doing the same exact thing. This is why our God is so great! When we run, he pursues us.

Run To God: The second choice is to run to God, and honestly, this choice is much more difficult to make than the first, because it means that we have to give up control and trust. When we fear, God desires that we trust Him—not turn from him—because He wants to show us who He is.

Think about it. If we had everything we thought we needed to be “happy” in this life—abundance of wealth, flawless health, perfect relationships, hope, peace, joy, etc.—and all those things were provided by the world, what would we turn to God for!?

We would convince ourselves that we could provide for ourselves everything that we had ever or could ever need. That is why we experience fear, struggle, hopelessness, despair. We are turning to the things of the world to find ourselves, rather than turning to the Creator who knows us and completes us. The fallen world around us, should be evidence to us of our fallen condition. Our only hope is to turn to the One who is risen: Jesus.

I pray that you would fear God more than you fear the world around you. It is in that place where you will find everything you need and everything you’ve been looking for.

Pastor Justin

 Don’t miss this weekend’s message, Worship: All or Nothing on the topic of fear!  If you are looking for a church in Central New Jersey or the surrounding areas, join us at the AMC 24 in Hamilton, NJ (Mercer County) on Sunday morning at 9:30 or 11 am.