Intimidating Fear

Dale Earnhardt was considered one of the best NASCAR drivers of all time. He won a total of 76 races over the course of his career and 7 Winston Cup Championships. His aggressive driving style earned him the nickname “The Intimidator.” When other drivers saw him coming they were intimidated by fear knowing they would need to be a fierce contender if they were to hold their position. However, Earnhardt was not the first to use this tactic. Black Bart was a professional thief whose very name struck fear as he terrorized the Wells Fargo stage line. From San Francisco to New York, his name became synonymous with the danger of the frontier. Between 1875 and 1883 he robbed 29 different stagecoach crews. Amazingly, Black Bart did it all without firing a shot. Because he wore a hood, no victim ever saw his face. He never took a hostage and was never trailed by a sheriff. Instead, Black Bart later said from prison that he didn’t need to fire a shot; all he had to do was to use fear to paralyze his victims. “Fear, the face of the unknown, was my weapon of choice, my weapon of intimidation.” Yet the one who first mastered the art, pre-dates both of those previously mentioned. His name is Lucifer. By utilizing fear he intimidated Eve into believing she was missing out, that God was holding something incredible from her. He terrified the disciples by the fear of a storm leading them to believe their death was imminent. He captivated Judas with the fear of poverty thus he betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.  And millions of others down through the ages have been overcome by the same emotional strategy.  While it is important to look at the past examples of those who have fallen prey, the person we must assess most is ourselves. “What fear is the enemy using against you?” If we are truthful and dare to look introspectively, the majority of us will have to admit that we are oftentimes motivated and manipulated by fear. The ironic thing is most of us do not realize it; because at times the results are evident but there are those occasions when we have no clue. For instance, more than once Jesus brought the subject of fear to the disciples’ attention. During the storm it was pretty obvious but what about those times when he told them not to be anxious about what they were to eat or wear. Although surprised, I’m sure reflection gave way to the reality that their actions were the result of primal fear. The same is true of us which explains why Jesus would use the phrase so often, “Fear Not!” Whenever confronted with doubt, feelings of insecurity, and our sense of peace, it might be good to reflect and ask “is this the product of circumstance or a bad case of intimidating fear?”