Fear Is A LieSample

“FELLOWSHIP FIGHTS FEAR” You may have heard of a guy in the Bible called Paul. He was a church planter, church builder, and fearless evangelist. He encouraged many churches with his letters. He encouraged Timothy not to walk with a spirit of fear, but rather with power, love, and a sound mind. This is an example of what we call ‘fellowship’; encouragement between believers. Have you ever watched a movie with an old-school battle - a proper fight with swords and shields? The army stands together, marches together, faces their fears together, overcomes together, and enjoys the victory together. When a soldier realizes they are part of a mighty force, they grow in courage and bravery, and they are able to advance more than they would be able to on their own. I have seen many movies where soldiers are fearful alone, but when standing side-by-side with one another they are fearless. Just like the soldiers in battle, we were not created to do life alone. We were created to do life with others, so the key is not to isolate ourselves but to surround ourselves with comrades. At the time of Jesus, soldiers in the army marched in a specific formation called the turtle formation. They would hold their shields to cover themselves and overlap them to cover the side of the soldier’s shield to their right. A soldier fighting solo as a lone ranger weakened the whole army. Their strength was in standing side-by-side covering each other as they walked through the dark valley together. This is what fellowship looks like and it actually enables us to overcome fear. So the question is: Who is standing with us and who are we standing with? Who knows our fears? When was the last time we shared what is currently intimidating us with someone marching alongside us? We can choose to live on the edge or dive right into the middle of community where we find security in fellowship. Sometimes we can be embarrassed about our fears so we hide and suppress them, but being vulnerable and honest with the people we trust, people who are marching in the same direction as us is key to overcoming fear.