A Norvell Note 2020
Vol. 22 No. 09 | March 2, 2020
Most of us know the famous line from the horror film, The Fly, “Be afraid. Be very afraid.” Although the film came out in the ’80s, this line keeps popping into my head, because it seems to be the place we are all operating from.
Each political candidate warns us about how dangerous their opponent is. We’re so afraid of mass shootings, we avoid going to public places. We’re afraid of Coronavirus. We’re afraid of not being able to afford our medications. Or if we can afford them, we’re afraid they won’t work. We’re afraid of not finding a job, then when we find one, we’re afraid of losing it. We’re afraid we won’t have enough money, then when we have enough, we’re afraid of running out.
“Be afraid. Be very afraid.”
It’s true, we live in a culture saturated with fear. I get frustrated when I find myself letting it control my life. Because deep down, The only way I know to avoid being controlled by fear is to stay focused on the One who is watching over us.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
Indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
he sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
The Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore. (Psalm 121)
We live in scary times and can’t avoid being impacted by some of the threats we face. But we also live in times that are good and exciting. So instead of focusing our attention on what scares us, why not focus on the things that inspire and bring us peace.
God did not put us here to walk around in a constant state of fear. He is love, the opposite of fear, and we are His creations, which means we are made of love. We have a choice- we can choose to consume media that reminds us of all the death and gloom, or we can focus on the positive stories and events that are happening in our lives.
This doesn’t mean we have to live with our heads in the sand. We can just choose to approach our day from a place of love, look for it and find ways to share it- with ourselves and others- through our thoughts, beliefs, and actions. If we do this, we are letting God work through us- the greatest source of power there is.
Look to God, focus on His source of love, and the things you fear don’t stand a chance.
A Norvell Note © Copyright 2020 Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved
[1] https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/be-afraid,-be-very-afraid.html