We live in a dangerous world. And we must stay alert and watchful to the evil lurking from the outside, and from within our own walls – those closest to us. But this reality should not cause us to operate with a spirit of fear. We should live in the world with bold freedom and courage, while also taking wisdom with us.
Of course, we should avoid unnecessary suffering every chance we get. And it does no good to pretend we live in Mayberry without a serious potential for harm around every corner. But we soon find ourselves living in fear when we merely play it safe to avoid every risk.
For instance, this is the helicopter parents who cannot tolerate their kids being out of their sight for a moment. And while this might protect their kids from pain and suffering, it also robs them of their ability to mature and learn how to offer their own unique strengths. To be sure, the path of maturity comes with many battle scars along the way. But, of course, this doesn’t mean we abdicate our responsibility and fail to set reasonable boundaries for our kids. We wisely provide them with what they need and protect them from evil as best as we can, without putting them in a bubble of control due to our own fears.
And this remains true even for us in our adulthood. For example, in marriage, we might play it safe by making each other our one and only meaningful relationship – fearing every other relationship is a potential threat to our union. Certainly, it’s not wise to associate with everyone. And there are some hard boundaries needed to protect the sanctity of our marriage. At the same time, these decisions should be guided by wisdom and not a fearful reaction to every possible danger.
We become powerless to bring good when fear gets the best of us. And evil quickly takes us out when we don’t wisely discern how to live in the world.
In the end, don’t let the dangers of this fallen world cause you to live a timid and fearful life. Take wisdom with you and live with a bold and courageous freedom.
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