Fear is a powerful tool.  It’s a tool that is used to manipulate people.  It’s a tool used to make people do things they otherwise wouldn’t do, say things they wouldn’t normally say.  Fear makes people irrational.  Given enough fear, a person is willing to do just about anything to get away from the fear.

Fear has been used throughout history to get people to do things they don’t want to do.  Fear was used in employment – do this or else.

Fear has been used in politics and is still used today.  Fear is what drives us to implement bad policy that is costly and actually makes situations worse.  Fear has a ripple effect.

Fear has been used in religion and is still used by some.  There are some who preach a message of fear.

Using fear is a great way to get people to work harder, to get votes, to raise money, to demand compliance, and to get away from with things that aren’t right.

We could spend a great deal of time talking about the fears that we face here in the US in 2018.  But that would really be beating a dead horse.  We know what these fears are.  And honestly, I don’t think fear is that powerful.  Or at least, it doesn’t have to be.

It only is as powerful as the permission we give it.

Which ultimately makes it very weak.  Fear only has as much power as we hand over to it.  Fear has to seek permission.  It has to receive permission to be effective.

And we are not compelled to hand over the permission.  Too often, we willingly hand over permission to fear.

We aren’t called to live in fear – at least not by God.  Certain politicians and religious figures proclaim a gospel of fear, but that isn’t Godly.  That’s a person wanting to be needed.  That’s person who is weak wanting to be seen as strong.

Ditch the fear – it isn’t worth it.