A Better Answer to Our Fears
Living in Bible times was scary business. Resources were scarce. The culture wasn’t one that valued women or the marginalized. And pagan idolatry was all around, leading many men (and women) to do dangerous and life-threatening things to themselves and their children. From the time sin entered the world in Genesis 3, people have been confronted with how scary the world can be, and how much faith is required to believe that God is still working. Just consider Sarah. She was taken from her homeland and family with no hope of seeing them again.[1] She was barren with no hope of a child.[2] Twice she was given over to a pagan king because her husband feared for his life.[3] And that’s just what the Scriptures tell us. You could say that fear was probably an ever-present reality in her life.
What marked Sarah ultimately, and maybe not always in the moment, was her hope in God. Her unwavering belief that God would do what he said, that God would deliver on his promises to her, and that God would never disappoint her. This is why Peter, in 1 Peter 3:1–6 uses her as an example for us to follow, not because she did it perfectly, but because ultimately her hope rested in God alone. We know that she didn't actually do it perfectly. In fact, like us, she gave into her fears on more than one occasion that we know of.[4]
The context of 1 Peter 3 seems scary to us, doesn’t it? Peter starts by telling women who live with a disobedient or unbelieving husband how they should conduct themselves. He exhorts them to live their lives in such a way that their husbands see the conduct of their character and are won to Christ. A disobedient or unbelieving husband would make any woman feel a little fearful over the future, or even the moment by moment complexities of her day. That’s why Peter provides us with an example to follow. He presents his hearers with a woman who clearly understood what it meant to live with a husband who was not always obedient to the Word, and his hearers would have known that. Then he gives us the punchline, the moment of truth for Christian women threatened by fears:
“And you are her [Sarah’s] children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening” (1 Pet. 3:6).
This can encourage us even today. We, too, live in a frightening world. Our sin alone can scare us to the core. But there are countless other earthly realities that threaten our faith daily. I’ve spent the better part of the last decade in and out of doctor’s offices and operating rooms, both for myself and my kids. Every doctor’s appointment on the calendar sparks feelings of dread in me. Will I hear bad news today? Will I need more tests? Will my son need surgery again? Will this doctor’s visit lead to more loss, more pain, or more suffering for my family? But the reality of living in a sin-cursed world means there is a lot to be afraid of.
I don’t know what brings out your fears. Maybe it’s a husband who doesn’t lead you like he should. Maybe it’s the prospect of a life of singleness. Maybe it’s infertility. Maybe it’s a move that’s on the horizon. Maybe it’s a family member who doesn’t know Christ. Maybe you have a difficult child or a difficult job. Maybe your bank account never seems to have enough money in it. Does the thought of your children leaving for college or driving a car for the first time bring you to your knees in fear? Are you fearful over school loans you feel like you will have forever?
The list could go on.
The answer for us all is still the same: we are Sarah’s children, if we hope in God and do not fear anything that is frightening. What we really need, what stands the test of time, is hoping in the God who knows the end of our circumstances, who is over every detail of our painful, broken lives, and who has promised to always do what is good for us.
It can be frightening to submit to your husband. It can be frightening to give your life to raising children. It can be frightening to face a life of singleness or barrenness. It can be frightening to embrace your season and give up a beloved career. It can be frightening to go to your job every day when you are regularly left wondering if the job will be there tomorrow. It can be frightening to pour your life into your local church with the gifts God has given you. It can be frightening to love your neighbors and enter their lives. It can be frightening to open your life up to friends, roommates, and family members. In all of these areas, we are giving ourselves over for the good of another, not our own. Life in a broken world is fraught with risk and fear.
Left to ourselves we should be afraid. But hedged in, protected by our loving Creator, we have nothing to fear. Hoping in the God who created us, loves us, and promises us a brighter future is the answer to our fears. We are Sarah's children if we trust in our all powerful, all loving, all wise, and always good God and do not fear anything that is frightening, even the fearful reality of living in a fallen world.
[1] Genesis 11:31
[2] Genesis 11:30
[3] Genesis 12:10–20; 20:1–18
[4] Genesis 16; Genesis 18:9–15
