Tuesday, August 4, 2020
Fear
“Fear is one of the hounds of hell that dog the footsteps of the poor, the dispossessed, the disinherited.” page 26
Howard Thurman was born in 1899 in Florida. Growing up African American during the years when Jim Crow laws segregated and disadvantaged African Americans, he knew what it meant to be afraid. Thurman reflects on how segregation instills fear in people.
Fear tells us lies. Lies like we need to protect ourselves first. Lies like there is not enough for all of us. Lies like those who are different from us are a threat to us. Those lies cause fear to grip our hearts and mind, and dictate what choices we make, where we go, and how much we are willing to risk.
But Thurman points out that fear is the enemy of faith. While fear tells us lies, faith speaks hope into our hearts and minds by showing us God’s truth. Fear tells us that our worth is based on how smart we are or how athletic we are or how hard we work. But faith in God tells us that our worth is instilled in us by the God who created us. Pray against the lies of fear in your life. Pray that God would help you see just how much God loves you.
Question to Ponder: What am I afraid of? Why am I afraid? How might God be asking me to surrender my fears to him?
This week’s devotional reflections have been adapted from the book, Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman. Beacon, Boston. 1976.
Fear
“Fear is one of the hounds of hell that dog the footsteps of the poor, the dispossessed, the disinherited.” page 26
Howard Thurman was born in 1899 in Florida. Growing up African American during the years when Jim Crow laws segregated and disadvantaged African Americans, he knew what it meant to be afraid. Thurman reflects on how segregation instills fear in people.
Fear tells us lies. Lies like we need to protect ourselves first. Lies like there is not enough for all of us. Lies like those who are different from us are a threat to us. Those lies cause fear to grip our hearts and mind, and dictate what choices we make, where we go, and how much we are willing to risk.
But Thurman points out that fear is the enemy of faith. While fear tells us lies, faith speaks hope into our hearts and minds by showing us God’s truth. Fear tells us that our worth is based on how smart we are or how athletic we are or how hard we work. But faith in God tells us that our worth is instilled in us by the God who created us. Pray against the lies of fear in your life. Pray that God would help you see just how much God loves you.
Question to Ponder: What am I afraid of? Why am I afraid? How might God be asking me to surrender my fears to him?
This week’s devotional reflections have been adapted from the book, Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman. Beacon, Boston. 1976.
