The Challenge of Fear

Scripture — Nehemiah 4:10-14 (NRSV)

But Judah said, “The strength of the burden bearers is failing, and there is too much rubbish so that we are unable to work on the wall.” And our enemies said, “They will not know or see anything before we come upon them and kill them and stop the work.” When the Jews who lived near them came, they said to us ten times, “From all the places where they live they will come up against us.” So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. After I looked these things over, I stood up and said to the nobles and the officials and the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the LORD, who is great and awesome, and fight for your kin, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”

Devotion

Fear is a common human emotion. We all feel it at times. I’m sure you can relate. Sometimes our fears are not rational, such as my youthful terror of Dracula. (Yes, I was afraid of this monster even though I knew he really didn’t exist. I put a small cross by my bedside just in case, however.) At other times our fears are well-founded. In early January, for example, I felt afraid of the Eaton Fire burning less than a mile from my family’s home in Pasadena, California. The fire was raging out of control and hurricane-force winds were blowing in our direction. Though our house did not burn, many within two miles of us did. A neighbor a few doors away had burning embers on her roof. So, my fear of the fire was certainly rational.

At times, we who lead will confront various fears. Some of these will be ours. Others will belong to the people we lead. We see an example of the latter in the fourth chapter of Nehemiah. In a previous Life for Leaders devotion, as the Jews were repairing the walls of Jerusalem, their enemies became angry and plotted to attack Jerusalem (4:7-8). In response, Nehemiah “set a guard as a protection against them day and night” (4:9). Yet this did not satisfy the Jewish people. Repeatedly they cried out to Nehemiah, “From all the places where they live they will come up against us” (4:12). This was a sensible fear because an unfinished wall wouldn’t provide adequate protection for the people. Moreover, they did not have an army sufficient to fend off their enemies. Thus, Nehemiah needed to deal with the real threat to the well-being of his people as well as their fear, which could distract or discourage them from doing the crucial work of rebuilding the wall.

What did Nehemiah do? First, he responded pragmatically by adding to the force that was protecting Jerusalem. In the places where the wall was most incomplete, Nehemiah “stationed the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows” (4:13). No doubt this was meant both to protect the city and to reassure the people. Nehemiah was taking their fears seriously and doing what was possible to dispel them. As a leader, he didn’t ignore his people or minimize their fears. I expect they felt heard and valued by Nehemiah’s response.

Second, Nehemiah reminded the people of “the LORD, who is great and awesome” (4:14). Thus, he could exhort the people, “Do not be afraid of [your enemies]” (4:14). Yes, they were a legitimate threat to the families and homes of the Jews in Jerusalem. And yes, the Jews should be prepared to fight if necessary to defend the city and all within it. But, at the same time, they had a great and awesome God on their side. Surely the character and presence of God would help the Jews with their fears.

I must confess, however, that as I read this story I feel the tension between the wonderfully reassuring truth of God’s greatness and the reality of threats that make us afraid. The problem is, as you know so well, that God does not always do what we would like God to do for us. Sometimes God protects us in ways we wish. But there are other times as well, times in which God allows us to struggle and suffer.

For example, as the Eaton Fire ravaged Altadena, just north of where I live, thousands of people lost their homes. Among these was Matthew, a friend of mine who pastors a church in Pasadena. Matthew has a strong trust in the Lord and I’m sure he exercised this trust as he and his family evacuated from their delightful home in Altadena. Though they lived more than a mile from the burning mountains, the wind-driven embers reached their house and it burned completely. Such a terrible thing! In the days since that happened, Matthew has cared for other families in his congregation who lost their homes as well. He has testified to the goodness and presence of God even amid painful losses.

When, as leaders, we are challenged by the fears of our people, we must respond like Nehemiah. We will take seriously what our people are feeling and respond in empathetic, wise, and practical ways. We will reassure them of God’s strength and presence, exhorting them not to live in fear. Sometimes we will be able to rejoice with our people when divine deliverance reflects their hopes and prayers. Sometimes, however, we will lament with them when tragedy strikes. Yet, even then, and even when we don’t fully understand the truth we embrace, we will remind our people of the God who is present with us in all things, in plenty and in want, in celebration and sorrow. Like Nehemiah, and like my friend Matthew, we share all of life with our people, in the best of times and the worst of times.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here.