Man vs. FearSample

Fear is Real

There’s a famous viral video where a news reporter asks a young boy on the first day of school if he’s excited about pre-kindergarten.

He responds gleefully into the microphone, “Yes!”

Then, the reporter asks him if he’s going to miss his mom, and he confidently answers, “No!” But then he suddenly breaks out in tears, covers his face, and turns away from the camera.

One comment under the video might best sum it up: “This video is the truthful representation of man's situation in modern society, where men are supposed to deny their own feelings to make everyone else happy.”

Men aren’t supposed to be afraid of anything, and the boy in the video apparently learned this early. He was supposed to tackle the unknowns of pre-kindergarten bravely and not miss his mom.

But deep down, he was afraid.

The Bible shows us many instances of men who show fear. Think of the Israelite soldiers who didn’t want to fight Goliath, for example (1 Samuel 17:8-11).

The Bible also allows us a profound glimpse into the vulnerability of Jesus when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before His imminent arrest (Matthew 26:37-38), portraying Him as “sorrowful and troubled” and “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.”

Jesus understood the consequences of drinking the cup of suffering. He would be separated from the Father. Jesus would pray three times that this cup of suffering be taken from Him, if possible.

Our takeaway is that if Jesus can be real with His fearful circumstances, we men can, too.

There is no need to hide our fear and try to be macho. Jesus was vulnerable in front of His friends, and He was open in front of His heavenly Father. I’m not advocating that we blubber in front of anyone and everyone, but we can certainly follow Jesus’ example of openness and honesty. We can be real—even raw—before our close friends and God as we confront situations and circumstances in our lives that cause sorrow, distress, and, yes, even fear.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I praise You with my whole heart for taking the cup of suffering so that I may walk with You forever. Help me to admit my fears to You and to close friends as I live in this fallen world. Amen.

Reflection: Do you hide your fears from others, like the boy tried to in the video? How comfortable are you sharing your deeper concerns, worries, and fears with God? With others? What benefit is there in being open about your fears?