In 1933, in his inaugural address, Franklin D. Roosevelt declared, “So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is…fear itself —.”
Currently, we fear gangs, terrorists, police, unorthodox marriages, liberals, conservatives, and members of other religious groups. The list goes on and on. Before we can forgive and relinquish judgment, we must first face our paralyzing fear. Renouncing anxiety involves three considerations.
We cannot have it both ways. We trust God or we allow terror to dominate our lives. A story from a circus illustrates this point.
During an amazing circus trick, a performer
walked across the tent on a narrow wire high in the air.
The crowd cheered.
He then took a wheelbarrow and pushed it across the wire.
The crowd cheered even more.
The announcer asked, “Do you believe he can
push the wheelbarrow across with a person sitting in it?”
The crowd roared, “Yes!”
After quieting the commotion, the announcer asked,
“Who will get in the wheelbarrow?”