Fear as a concept is deeply ingrained in people, yet its nature may vary substantially. Contrary to the popular representation of a positive character in popular discourse, fear is essential to the existence of an individual since it defines the boundaries of what is allowed, both physically and morally. However, the idea of living without fears is perpetuated in the biblical narrative as the concept to be upheld and seen as an example, which might create confusion in some. There is a simple explanation for the dual interpretation of fear in the context of the Biblical text: when framed in the context of weakness and indecisiveness, fear needs to be contextualized as the failure to follow Christian values. In other words, from the Christian perspective, fear should be seen as a weakness to be explored: “And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.”
In this context, fear can be correlated with the phenomena of indecisiveness and the underlying lack of faith. The passage above illustrates that the absence of certainty and belief in basic virtues and values can and, most likely, will become the source of internal fear. In turn, the latter is likely to lead even a true Christian astray, which is why the specified type of fear needs to be dealt with efficiently and recognizes immediately. Any signs of wavering in the face of an ethical or a moral dilemma may lead to the gradual loss of faith, which, in turn, may cause a failure in achieving salvation or helping a fellow Christin in reaching it as the end stage of the spiritual development process.
Therefore, it is crucial for a minister as a Christian leader to warn people against the problem of fear as the sign of an internal struggle in understanding and accepting key Christian ideas. It will be necessary to convince the target audience that the specified type of fear needs to be explored to locate its root cause and then recognized as entirely unsubstantiated. Moreover, Christians need to engage in deep contemplations about the reasons they experience the specified kind of fear, thus identifying their insecurities about their spirituality and reconciling with them. It is only by embracing one’s limitations in understanding the word of God that one can advance in one’s spiritual growth and cast these fears aside.