“They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. “
Genesis 3:8
I was recently listening to a song by John Mayer called “The Heart of Life.” I consider John Mayer to be an elite musician, and I really enjoy his music. However, good musicians are dangerous because of the impact music can have on the heart and the way it we can let our intellectual guard down in the presences of a melody that soothes us. John Mayer, while being able to charm with his music, should not be allowed to shape our worldview.
There is one line in this song that I decided that I would pick on. Towards the end of the song, Mayer says, “Fear is a friend that is misunderstood.” I pondered this statement and searched to try to find a possible way that anyone could actually agree with this. I must admit, it was something that was not normally said and something that was sung beautifully, so I found myself wanting him to have made a deep observation and desiring to agree with him. My Christianity would not allow me to do so.
I don’t know where Christians gave into the idea that fear was not something evil, and I surely can’t fathom the idea that fear is a friend, but I feel like it is time to speak against this. The biblical position is that fear is not from God. Fear began with the fall of humanity, as there was no need for fear while we were obeying God. Yet, immediately afterwards, we find our human representatives hiding from God in their newly discovered emotion that John Mayer describes as his “friend,” namely, fear.
For those who are in rebellion against God, I understand their state of fear. They should be afraid, as they are living in a world of perpetual threats and uncertainty without any promise that justice will be done. But for the believer who possesses the promise of God that Christ has given himself to destroy death and give us eternal life, fear is nothing more than a lack of faith. Fear is not your friend. Fear is a peril that threatens to choke your Christian life in such a way that there is no longer dependence on the Lord. For, when a Christian is afraid, he is essentially telling God that he does not trust his promises
Joshua did not tell the children of Israel to be afraid. Paul did not tell Timothy that God gives us a spirit of fear. Our Lord did not teach us that fear was our friend, so we need to stop acting as if us being afraid of things is ok. A faith that can move mountains is also a faith that can stand against all forms of terror that this world presents, and it is time we stopped pretending that allowing ourselves to be shaken by the storms of this world is permissible before God. If the Lord is your life and salvation, whom should you fear?
Sorry, Mr. John Mayer. Fear is not my friend. Fear is evidence of weak faith.
