Fear Not - Your Savior is Born!

The Sunday before Christmas John was in a play at our church. It was called "Fear Not - Your Savior is Born!" You can watch it here. It is just under 6 minutes long. (the only way I could make the video play was to make a Youtube video of it and include it here. Unfortunately, being Youtube it will then show you some other random video it thinks you might want to see next. It won't play it unless you click on it. If you want to see the play again you have to hit the refresh button.) Anyway here it is:

Like the angel said to Mary, Joseph and the shepherds we don’t need to fear because our Savior, Jesus, has been born. He is Immanuel, "God with us," the Prince of Peace.

As a Christian I believe that. He is my Savior. That's why I celebrate Christmas.

I do sometimes struggle, though, to banish fear, worry and anxiety.

We are told over and over in scripture not to fear. Just like when the angel, Gabriel, said "fear not" in the play it is an imperative. We have to choose to obey. That means it is possible. But it also means it is not automatic.

My fears don't just "wash away" in God's presence like a chorus we sang Sunday morning said they do. Not in this life anyway. In heaven they will. But in this life it is a choice and a battle. It's like exercising a muscle. It takes effort.

God is with us. He promised to be with us always and he said whenever two or more are gathered in His name He is there. He is there whether or not we sing songs about it first. If we are believers in Him he is with us. We need to believe it because he said it.

Believing that God is with me is not enough, though. I also need to trust that what the Bible says about God is true. He is good, and loving and compassionate. He is wise and powerful and faithful. In other words he is trustworthy! And by his grace I am accepted by him because of Jesus's death on the cross. He truly is my Savior!