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Viewpoint from Rev Linda Turner 14/09/2018
 Viewpoint 14/09/2018
Rev Linda Turner
Minister, Cornerstone Baptist Church, Martham
as published in the Yarmouth Mercury
One of the things my boys did when they were younger was to build a ‘guider’ or perhaps you might know it as a go-cart, I’m sure you know the sort of thing I mean, a set of pram wheels, a couple of planks of wood and a piece of string to guide the wheels in the right direction. They had so much fun on it, but it used to scare me when they were hurtling down the street on it, because you see we lived at the top of a hill and their guider had no brakes
The reality TV show ‘I’m a celebrity.... get me out of here’ features people who are willing to face their worst fears for notoriety and financial gain. I find it tough to watch people eat cockroaches, immerse themselves in a tank full of creepy worms with legs, and stay under water far too long with slimy eels crowding around their heads. It’s just not my definition of high-value entertainment
Yet thinking of the program does make me wonder: Would I be willing to conquer my fears to do what Jesus asks me to do?
 There is no doubt that fear is no friend of our effectiveness for Christ. We are often fearful about witnessing, giving our money away, saying no to our friends, forgiving a cruel offence, saying yes to a short-term missionary assignment, or risking being misunderstood if we speak up for biblical values at our place of work
Overcoming fear begins with deciding that some things in life are more important than ourselves, once you and I realize that a self-surpassing passion for others and Jesus trumps fear, we can understand why the apostle John wrote that love casts out fear (1 John 4:18)
But loving can often feel like a risky, sometimes losing, proposition, which is why we need another ingredient to release the power of the love that conquers fear. That ingredient is trust
Trusting that God will protect you when you are fearful, that God will reward you when you feel at risk, that God will give you guidance and courage when you feel lost and intimidated, this is what it takes to defeat the fear that holds you back
When our lives are characterized by trust-filled love, fear ultimately will not be a factor. As President Roosevelt said in his inaugural speech, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself!”
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