Gift of Fear
What do you fear most? Do you know that fear can be your friend? Do you know how to use the gift of fear?
Let's explore this topic together in today's devotional:
“For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a
dead lion.” Ecclesiastes 9:4
This is an interesting scripture rarely quoted but quite profound. Lions are known to be brave, the king of the jungle, fearless and one of the greatest predators, yet scripture tells us that a living dog is better than a dead lion.
What does this really mean?
It simply means it is better to be alive and a nobody then a dead king, unless it serves a greater purpose as in the case of Jesus’ death. As entrepreneurs we are taught to be fearless, brave and courageous, yet fear can be a gift that protect us from danger and from harm. This is why Proverbs 22:3 tells us that a prudent man foresees evil and hides but the simple pass by and are punished. In other words, a prudent man taps into the gift of fear and allows it to guide him away from danger while the simple or foolish ignores fear and gets hurt.
In his book, The Gift of Fear, Gavin de Becker teaches us survival signals that protect us from danger. Becker gives detailed accounts of crimes that could have been prevented if the victim tapped into their intuitive instinct power by the gift of fear. They ignored obvious signs, which ultimately led to their demise. As Biblical Entrepreneurs, how can the gift of fear help us make better decisions and avoid taking uncalculated risks that can ruin our businesses and even our lives?
Before we can address the positive attributes of fear and how it can serve us, let’s
briefly look at how fear originated. Fear came into the human experience right after
Adam sinned, and served as an indicator that something was wrong. From then on fear became a warning signal that something bad was about to occur. Without fear we would jump in front of moving trains, jump out of airplanes without parachutes or take on opponents that we have no chance of defeating. Fear keeps us from danger and alive!
Positive Attributes of Fear:
- Warns us of potential danger
- Causes us to be careful
- Causes us to be humble
- Allows us to put boundaries in place
- Keeps us out of trouble
- Produces wisdom in us
- Enables us to revere God
Biblical Entrepreneurs tap into the gift of fear to minimize their risk and to keep away from dangerous situations by playing to the middle of the field rather than too close to the sidelines. Fear helps them stay away from market segments that they are not equipped to handle or take on competitors that they cannot defeat. Jesus Himself recognized the importance of the gift of fear when he made this statement:
“Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and
consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.” Luke 14:31-32
Yes, God has not giving you the spirit of fear, but he has giving you intuition which
enables you to tap into the gift of fear to allow you to make sound decisions to build and grow a kingdom company that honors Him.
My prayer for you today is that God will enable you to tap into the gift of fear to make sound business decisions while staying away from the spirit of fear.
Reflection: What is the difference between gift of fear and spirit of fear?
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