January 15

Matthew 10:24-11:6

What are you afraid of ? What are the things that paralyze you and fill your mind with worry? Jesus addresses fear and worry in Matthew 10. Matthew 9-10 describe the call of all believers to participate in God’s kingdom work. The beginning of chapter 10 describes what the disciples were to do and today’s reading describes how we are to do it. We are to serve God without fear of people. We will face opposition, difficulty, and persecution but we should not be afraid of what comes against us. The reason we should not be afraid is because God is on our side. The one who holds all the power in the universe is with us so nothing this world throws against us should raise up fear in our hearts.

Jesus acknowledges that death could come because of our allegiance to him, but, since he is the one who determines eternity, we should not be afraid of those who can simply end our lives on earth. This eternal perspective may seem foreign to us but we are commanded to embrace it. Along with this eradication of fear, we are also called to prioritize Jesus over everything else. We are called to lose our lives for his sake (v.39). We should be willing to surrender everything to gain him. As we go about our day we should consider two questions: 1) Am I living out of fear or trust in Christ? and 2) Am I prioritizing him or things of this world? Abundant life is found in embracing Christ over everything else and doing this in all we do.

Father God, help me to live out of faith and not fear. Help me to trust you with my life and walk confidently with you today. Amen. 

What is one step you can take to eradicate unhealthy fear from your life?

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