Luke 1

(May 16, 2015)

                It would be such a blessing to be able to serve God without fear.  Right now, fear truly dominates more of my life than I want it to.  I struggle with fear throughout various aspects of my life.  I want to serve God, but that exposes me to contempt, ridicule, and threats (even from some who I would expect to be advocating my continued service of God).  I struggle to continue to serve, but I know that (at least in a temporal sense) my service will not be rewarded.

                It shouldn’t be a surprise – we are here to be tested and our service must always be found at odds with the world around us in order for that service to be willingly given.  We occupy hostile territory, after all – we serve the Lord at high cost, and always will so long as Satan holds sway over this world.  But what a blessing it will be when the day arrives when we can give ourselves totally and completely to the Lord and serve Him without fear.

                I speak not of the afterlife, of course, but rather when our lives and hearts are so changed that we no longer feel such fear when we choose to serve Him.  It is us that needs to change, not the world around us.  It is I that need to become a better man so that I can serve God without fear – and I hope that I am able to do that.