Key Scripture:

“I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.” Ecclesiastes 3:14-15

Devotional:

We live in a day and age where there is no shortage of people wrestling with the inability to commit. Whether it’s commitment in relationships, with major life decisions or simply whether or not to buy concert tickets, commitment seems to be a challenge for many. And I’ll be the first to say that I hate commitment — especially when it comes to choosing where to go to dinner.

Every time I sign a lease, I cringe.
Every time I say “yes” to plans more than a few hours ahead of time, I cringe.
Every time I finally decide to make a decision and commit to just about anything, I cringe.

More times than not, I choose to live in a constant state of “keeping my options open” because there’s something about the perceived freedom to choose that I long for. But it’s just that, perceived freedom. Because if I’m actually honest, just below the surface, freedom isn’t driving my issue with commitment, fear is. Because…

Fear convinces me of things that are not true.
Fear causes me to assume the worst about myself and others.
And fear causes me to defend my unbelief in the wisdom of God.

And that sounds a whole lot more like bondage than freedom, right!? So, if “it is for freedom that Christ has set us free,”¹ why are so many of us still stuck in bondage?

All throughout scripture, there are two types of fear that are always at odds with one another: the fear of the Lord described in Proverbs 9:10 and the spirit of fear described in 2 Timothy 1:7.

In one of his books, Sinclair Ferguson wrote, “True discernment means not only distinguishing the right from the wrong, it means distinguishing the primary from the secondary, the essential from the indifferent, and the permanent from the transient.”² The fear of the Lord is primary, essential and permanent in nature and the spirit of fear is secondary, indifferent and transient.

The fear of the Lord leads to life and the spirit of fear leads to death. And in this case, discernment looks like knowing when you need to exchange one type of fear for another.

The spirit of fear walks by sight, the fear of the Lord produces faith.
The spirit of fear grasps for control, the fear of the Lord produces trust.
The spirit of fear chases after the next best thing, the fear of the Lord produces faithfulness.
The spirit of fear steals, kills and destroys, the fear of the Lord produces an abundant life.
The spirit of fear seeks knowledge, the fear of the Lord produces wisdom.

So, while the spirit of fear may be gripping your story today, know that we don’t have to fear the future because we know the One who holds it. 1 John says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.”³ So, by choosing to surrender the spirit of fear and instead choosing to fear the Lord, who is Love, we will find the beginning of wisdom. 

Because all wisdom is found in the person and work of Jesus Christ for He is the wisdom of God. And when we trust in Him, we can move from being a fearful people to a committed and faithful people. And in doing so, we will find life and freedom.

Deepening questions:

• Is it hard for you to make and keep commitments? Why or why not?
• In what ways is fear keeping you from taking your next step in discovering and deepening your faith?

Further reading:

Proverbs 1, Proverbs 9

Footnotes:

¹ Galatians 5:1 ² Sinclair B. Ferguson, In Christ Alone: Living the Gospel-Centered Life ³ 1 John 4:18