05. Overcoming fear

The fear we feel when we think about mission comes from more than just uncertainty. The lack of control over potential situations and the unknown regarding questions we might be asked or confrontations we may face all contribute to the dread we can experience. Let’s see if we can unpack this a little and hopefully find some wisdom that will help us overcome any fear we might have.

What makes each of us who we are will determine how fearful we are and our ability to overcome it – some will find it easier than others. I am an introvert by nature, so the idea of striking up a conversation with a stranger in public is more threatening than for an extrovert. I can work on that, but it will take more effort on my part. That said, one thing I enjoy more than most is uncertainty. I love the thrill and challenge of not knowing what an encounter will bring up. But that comes from experience, confidence in what I know, and most importantly, relying on the Holy Spirit to guide me.

Uncertainty

This is something of a catch-all emotion. Someone who is naturally cautious will struggle more with uncertainty than someone who is a ‘go-getter’. Self-awareness and self-management will determine which of these is better! A go-getter who is a maverick might be more like a proverbial bull in a china shop, whereas a cautious person may be more aware of others and therefore more approachable. Personality aside (important as this is to recognise, understand and work to its strengths), uncertainty can be a symptom of a lack of experience, lack of confidence in biblical knowledge and application, and that nagging question, “will God show up?”

Experience

If we let the lack of experience prevent us from stepping out, we enter a vicious circle that we will never escape. Experience isn’t always good, even when we dare to step into the unknown, and this can reinforce the reason why we should never have stepped out in the first place, but it is a learning process. We learn from what we get right and what we get wrong, all in the understanding that every situation is different. We mustn’t beat ourselves up for getting it wrong, nor should we believe God is up there somewhere waiting to chastise us when we inevitably fail! Experience only grows by doing. So, take a deep breath and go for it.

Confidence

Like experience, confidence only grows by doing. OK, we can do lots of learning too, but it remains theoretical until we have to draw on what we’ve learnt in the moment. When we start to be purposeful in our mission and grow our experience and confidence, doing it with others rather than on our own can really help. ‘Safety in numbers,’ as they say. This can be part of our scaffolding while we learn to be missional in everyday life (formalise to normalise). What about confidence in biblical knowledge and understanding? Having a Christian heritage as we do in the UK is something of a mixed blessing. Our open access to the Bible, church services and the plethora of resources has led many of us to take what we have for granted. Christians in countries where they are persecuted for their faith, or where there is limited access to Bibles and resources, cherish the Scriptures so much more. Think of it like this: we don’t give it a second thought to have water literally ‘on tap’, and we waste it so frivolously; but where fresh, clean water is scarce, it is treated with care as something precious. We might not feel the need to read or memorise Scripture because it’s so available to us – even having every version on our phones in our pockets – but just because it’s with us doesn’t mean it is in us. Only when the word of God is in us can it begin to transform us, strengthen us and be drawn from any time.

Control

No-one really likes to not be in control, and uncertainty increases our need to be in control. Growing in experience and confidence helps to minimise this, but uncertainties will always remain, so we need to learn to let go of our need to control. Some of this is personality and past life experience, but control may also suggest a lack of trust. In who? Maybe in yourself, knowing how you can react. Perhaps it’s in others, not feeling safe when you don’t know how they might react. It may also be a lack of trust in God. None of this is insurmountable, but help may be required. The biggest danger is squeezing out the work of God in the context, and without the Holy Spirit, there can be no lasting fruit. This is probably the biggest one to overcome.

Questions

The strategy of the Jehovah’s Witnesses (and others) is to maintain control of the conversation and direct the questions towards their preprepared responses. We aim to let the Holy Spirit lead the conversation, the questions (from both sides), and provide the answers. As we grow in experience and confidence, and we let go of controlling the missional opportunity, we are free to allow any question to be asked of us – even when we don’t have the answers. That’s right, we don’t need to have all the answers! Breathe a sigh of relief. We don’t need to control and answer everything; we’re not trying to look good or do God’s job for Him. Not being able to answer a question does two things: it shows we’re normal, not a know-it-all, and it creates the opportunity for a future conversation. The future opportunity comes from saying, “I don’t know the answer to that question, but I will find out, so let’s chat again.”

Confrontation

Not everyone will want to hear what we have to share. They might completely disagree and have a seemingly stronger argument than ours. They might have a past where they have been hurt by the church in some way, or by a Christian who pushed their beliefs on them. If their only experience is being told they’re going to hell to burn for eternity unless they repent, they might react negatively to you, expecting something similar. They might even call themself a Christian but have beliefs that diverge from the Bible. Also, other issues such as gender, sexuality, race, climate and science, may stir a strong reaction. You may simply have a convincing argument that threatens their own. People don’t have to agree; they don’t have to accept the gospel we share with them. Sad as this is (we know what they’re turning down), we need to allow people to walk away. We need to know when to stop, even if just for the moment, to give people space. And, unless the Lord has called us to martyrdom in this given moment, it’s okay for us to walk away for our own safety!

Holy Spirit

Ultimately, fear comes from our lack in some way. Thankfully, we don’t need to have everything sorted to be on this mission journey. Even if we have everything ‘sorted’, we are still unable to change hearts and minds or save people. It doesn’t matter how good we are! Any ability we have, any gift for sharing the gospel, comes from the Holy Spirit. We play our part in the process, but it is God who brings about the transformation in people’s lives. The glory is His alone. Out of everything that we must learn, it is to be better reflectors and communicators of the gospel; our greatest need is to know the work of the Holy Spirit and allow Him freedom to move in and through our lives. This may also be the hardest to learn because this is where we let go of control, yielding ourselves completely to the will and work of God.