🎢 Camp Fear or Camp Fun?

 

How hope—not fear—changes the ride

Scripture:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

—John 16:33 (NIV)

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There are two types of people when it comes to roller coasters—those who scream in terror and those who scream with joy. Everyone seems to land in one camp or the other. People in Camp Fear find the sensation of falling out of control too much to handle. The people in Camp Fun? Honestly, I have no idea what’s going on in their heads—because I belong squarely in the first group.

But maybe that’s the key: what’s going on in our heads. One group interprets the feeling of plummeting as exhilarating. The other? We’re just trying not to barf. It all starts with how we think.

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So how do we in Camp Fear overcome anxiety?

It’s not just about roller coasters.

Fear of cancer, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, the loss of loved ones—and for me, Dallas traffic—are all very real. We’ve seen it. We know 💩 happens. Life can—and will—go wrong.

So if all that is true, how do we overcome fear?

The Bible tells us “do not fear” more than 300 times. That tells me two things: (1) fear is part of the human condition, and (2) we are called to something better. God doesn’t ask us to fly without wings—and I don’t believe He would command “fear not” without giving us a way to do it.

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Is fear the opposite of faith?

I used to think so. That if I feared, I lacked faith. And then came the guilt.

But Moses experienced both. So did David. Jesus, in the garden, was deeply troubled. Maybe fear isn’t always the absence of faith. Maybe it’s a mindset.

I fear the blows that life (or the enemy) might deal me or my loved ones. This world is hard. God promises to bring beauty from ashes, but I still dread the fire. Maybe that dread is where the enemy wins—not just in the pain, but in the anticipation of pain.

I’m not about to pretend that God makes life on earth rosy. He doesn’t promise that. But when I let fear dominate my mind, I destroy my chance at joy. Maybe this is why God commands us not to fear—because fear robs us of the joy of walking through life with the Spirit.

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Fear may not be the opposite of faith.

Maybe it’s the opposite of hope.

Hope keeps our eyes on the final outcome.

Fear fixates on the next possible disaster.

God can bring beauty from ashes—but fear? I can’t recall Him ever transforming that into something beautiful. Fear poisons relationships. It wears down our bodies. It steals our joy and blinds us to God’s nearness.

So maybe the answer isn’t to expect an easy ride—but to throw up our hands and trust the track.

Because in the end, God wins.

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Reflection:

When I find myself white-knuckling through the day, I must remember my hope. I must pry each finger off the safety bar, throw my hands in the air, and join Camp Fun. Not because life is painless—but because the ride ends in glory.

Let the enemy do his worst—I know how the story ends.

Layers

It is with hesitation that I address this scripture. It is a story I have heard since I was knee high to a watermelon.  It is a heart-wrenching story, a story woven throughout thousands of years of history with a link from the Old Testament to the New Testament. At face value it is hard to comprehend. It has spoken to me in different ways on more than one occasion. It has so many layers! It is found in Genesis 22:1-19 when Abraham obediently follows God to sacrifice his promised son and was stopped at the last minute by God.  Following, are some of the layers that I have discovered in this story throughout my life. 

As a child, my first take, or layer on this story was simple obedience to God.  He can be trusted. In my childlike faith, this was probably my best take on this story.  It was later in life as a young adult that I questioned this story.  I thought maybe Abraham was mistaken because God never sacrifices children. In history it is only those pagan gods like Molek that demand such a heinous act.  So I tried to explain away Abraham’s situation thinking he must have been confused and God straightened him out. This was me wrestling with truth.  

But as so often happens, wrestling with truth drags us to enlightenment. About a year ago I discovered a new layer in this story. At the time, I was struggling more than I usually do with fear.  Knowing that fear is the opposite of faith, I turned to this heart-wrenching story.  That is when it dawned on me that Abraham knew God was going to make it right and trusted Him even though he didn't know how it was going to play out.  So he followed in obedience and yes, God made it right.  That was faith.  

As a professional questioner, it is so hard for me to trust God when I can’t see his plan.  But this is the first step in replacing fear with faith.  It starts with a choice, like Abraham who must have chosen to fix his eyes on the victory rather than the  difficulties.  It is not belittling the difficulties, for they are very real.  It is looking beyond the trials to the victory that God has given.  It is a change in point of view.  It is looking at God and not at the flailing mess that surrounds me.  I must do my part of preparation for the battle but with my eyes on the victory the entire time; remembering that it is God’s victory over my fear. 

Today, Genesis 22 is my morning scripture and I go back to read it.  The first two verses say: 

Genesis 22:1-2 NIV

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him,“Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

I again think, "Why would our loving God tell Abraham to sacrifice this only child?   Hold it...I see a note I made in my Bible from Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World by Josh and Sean McDowell.  It labels this verse as ‘type’. The note says, 'a type foreshadows or prefigures what the New Testament says.'  When did God ever sacrifice an only child in the New Testament?  And it hit me like a train. This is evidence that God knew then how His plan would play out; that his only Son would be sacrificed for our sins. 

So reading on in verses 6-8, I found another reference in my Bible from the aforementioned-book-with-the-long-name. Again it said ‘type’.  

6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

In verse 6, did you see it?  God did it again.  Isaac carried the wood for the sacrifice just as Jesus carried the cross for his.  

So I read on and find another note from the same source in verse 13. 

Genesis 22:13 NIV

[13] Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.

The note in the margin said, "It is worthy of our attention that the provision was made of a ram rather than a lamb.  This suggests that the lamb that had been promised was still to be provided".  

Wow!  God had and has this thing all figured out.  I can trust him. He has a plan.

The Voice

I needed the new dog harness that kept popping up on my Facebook screen.  Two clicks and it is no more neck pain for my pooches.  All I had to do was click, choose the color, size and give them my credit card information.  At first I waited.  Then I saw the postcard from vet clinic that said it was time to take my three-year-old black lab, India, for shots.  Memories from a year ago in the vets office flooded my mind. When it was India's turn to walk into the back for her shots she bolted out of her collar and hid behind a big guy with a brave little chihuahua.  I had to drag her 75 pound quivering body down with the help of the vet assistant. There was no way I was going into that office with that same collar!  

So, I bought it. Actually I bought two because I have two dogs. If I buy two I will save shipping cost later, right? It is a week until the appointment.  If I hurry and get it ordered, it will get here before then.  The small voice in the back of my mind, which sounds a lot like my husband, said, “What do you know about that dog collar company”?  I ignored it just like my actual husbands voice.  After all, I needed to order it fast or it wouldn’t get here in time.  The next morning I had fears and regrets.  I googled the ratings of the dog collar company.  There it was in glowing black and white, a Better Business Bureau rating of F.  Grrr.  I knew better.  What makes me do these things? When will I learn to listen to the common sense voice in my head? And how can I get it right next time?  

Analytically, breaking down the series of mistakes that preceded my bad decision, I now realize my first thought was embarrassment over my poorly behaved dog.  This was fear about what others will think. Second, I saw the pressure of hurry; I had to get the harness before the appointment.  How often do I rashly answer to a ticking clock?

I realize that in the big picture, the dog collar decision is not that big of a deal.  But everyday life decisions like words spoken that I can never take back are what IS important. I must recognize it when I do things because of fear and pressure of time. It was fear and pressure of time that pushed me to make the poor decision on the dog collars and it is often this same thing that makes me choose to ignore the most important voice of the Holy Spirit.  He whispers his guidance but the 'fears, wants and needs' of this world are in my face and I don’t listen.  I must invest time into learning to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.  I must practice bringing my fears to God in prayer and slowing down to listen to his voice daily to get it right.  This is imperative.  The enemy wins a much bigger battle when I rush around.  

And yes, I do need to learn to listen to my husband's voice better too.😏