There is an island called fear, a coral-reef. There are coast guards with express instructions to keep the captive population in the straight and narrow, hedged in. They are ominous, the guards are, and swift to execute judgement.
There is also a dilemma about the island. The guards also are residents of the island, confined. Are they also hostages? Are they prisoners of the system, or of conscience? I wonder. One thing that I am persuaded of, though, is that I want out! I want out of the coral-reef!
Fear has no reward, in both the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of human beings. Men and women are remembered not for their timidity but for their bravery in the face of adversity. Courage is honourable.
Why is fear a critical factor within the scheme of things of the sinister? Fear disables our confidence, our faith in God. Fear stands in the way of creativity. Fear stifles voices and paralyses action. Fear fragment communities, breeds mistrust and suspicion. Fear denies people access to the milk and honey of the land promised both in the temporal and eternal worlds.
Development in Information Technology has worked wonders for communication. We can now access the internet, for instance, through a wireless signal. If the particular wireless network that I have access to pops up, I have an option to connect or not to connect. Yet I can also choose to disable the network. Disabling the network means no access to the information highway.
Likewise, this is what fear does. By its very nature fear is designed to dent or destroy our confidence in God. It is configured in such a way as to achieve one thing — to disconnect us from our sole source of life, strength and provision. To be afraid is to doubt God and what God has said repeatedly – “Fear not, for I am with you.” To be timid is to have misgivings about God’s goodness and His good purposes for our lives. Fear questions the integrity of God, His ability and commitment to fulfill what He has promised.
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When we are afraid, the faith that we need to possess the promise is disabled. And this is the exact position where the enemy of humanity wants you and me to be. When we fear we as well become slaves of wicked men and women who are bent on keeping us from our God given inheritance. Fear Island is not where you and I belong. If you choose to stay, rest assured that I won’t. I want out!
Timid people are barren of innovation. Fear stands in the way of creativity. When we are afraid we cannot think.
Creative solutions are not products of the enslaved. The slave wants to make the best of the little space they have, and save some hand-outs for the next day. Who knows? They may not be any grub tomorrow! Life changing ideas and solutions emanate from minds that are free from shackles.
Fear freezes the mind. You want to see frozen minds? Go to the island called fear. Should you choose to go, I choose not to. I have made up my mind. I am out of that dreadful place. I determine not to go back!
Fear stifles voices and paralyses action. Prisoners of fear cannot speak. They mumble for the dread of being heard. At best they whisper. In fact they are synonymous with hushed up voices.
They are bent over by reason of always wanting to be as close as possible to another ear as to nervously murmur something.
They are strangers to free speech. That is an abomination in the island. Their voices are arrested. Moreover, in the isle of fear, hands and feet are shackled. There is neither the ability to write a petition nor the capability to walk to the chief warden to air their grievances.
The island of fear is a sad place to be, a sore sight — a mass of voiceless and helpless people. Now you see why I do not want to return there. Memories of it cause revulsions.
Courage is a deliberate decision to step out of the fear confinement so as to begin to live life in full. The author G K Chesterton notes that “the paradox of courage is that a man must be a little careless of his life even in order to keep it.”
Courage is honourable.
