Fear!

by LittleToe 114 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Deputy Dog

  LT

  So you don't "Fear" God?

  D Dog
• 

  LittleToe

  Xena:
  No doubt it starts with fear, but isn't this subsumed to wisdom, as one grows?

  DDog:Ps.111:10 and Prov.1:7 have fear as the beginning of knowledge/wisdom.
  This is not the end in and of itself.

  Do I have a morbid dread of God? Nope. No more than I fear my daddy!

  How do YOU resolve the conflict that is brought about by 1John.4:18?

  LT of the "I can't believe I'm involved in a theological discussion AGAIN" and "I think I'm being stereotyped" classes - LOL
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  franklin J

  Ross, there is a saying....

  ....be careful what your wish for; as dreams do come true....

  My dreams HAVE all come true.....

  I FEAR what life may bring me next....

  It is a fear, not from insecurity; but from watching the real world all around me. I exist with my precious little family in a bubble. A real bubble of prosperity; and security and lots of fun and freedom from want....but it is a bubble just the same

  One of my friends just lost his 4 year old son in a freak sledding accident; there are terrible things that CAN and DO unexpectedly happen to us.

  This fear prompted my wife and I to spend a tremendous amount of money to remove the huge old trees on our property ( they were showing signs of decay and a licensed arborist advised us that they might be a danger in a storm) for fear that they might fall and kill one of our children. If the trees came down in a storm; no doubt they would crush the house; most definitly squish us like ants.

  Fear does have a place in my life.
• 

  LittleToe

  Acknowledging the "bubble" and taking reasonable precautions seems the course of wisdom, Frank. You are no bad scholar for that

  Do you lose sleep over it, at night?
  Does it give you stomach ulcers?

  I agree that fear has it's place in life, almost like an instinctive intuition that helps us steer away from danger. I guess some context would help. How about fear of reprisals from the WTS and adherents, family included?
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  franklin J

  Ross,

  to answer your questions
  
  No, I do not lose sleep or get ulcers from the "fear" of what may happen.

  As for the fear of Watchtower reprisal for my actions; yes, I did go through that long ago; spent 2 years in therapy and conquered that fear ( which by the way; was nothing more than a false apparition); that is behind me and can no longer cause me any harm or concern.

  I sense that same fear here on this forum from those still going through the early fade motions. As your original post indicated; there is really nothing to be afraid of.
• 

  Deputy Dog

  LT

  1Jo 4:18

  There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment; and the one fearing has not been perfected in love.

  How do YOU resolve the conflict that is brought about by 1John.4:18?

  Wow! Well, do you want the long or short answer? After watching the movie "Luther" for 4th time. I don't think that anyone feared God more than he did. I guess I would say I read the verse this way

  There is no fear in Christ, but perfect faith in Christ casts out fear, because fear has punishment; and the one fearing has not been perfected in faith in Christ.

  I have the gift of faith in the work of Christ on the cross, (in that he was punished in my place). Now that one sees that, what is left to fear? I think this is what happenned to Martin Luther as well.

  D Dog
• 

  LittleToe

  Frank:

• False
• Evidence
• Appearing
• Real

Now applying Frank Herbert's concoction to your example, after the fear has past (or perhaps as a consequence, during the fear stage) surely you were driven to act?
However acting in a blind panic, rather than with controlled wisdom, could have produced very different results - like cutting down the trees yourself, towards the house!!!

Most of us handle our fear in pragmatic ways, especially if we've gained a little wisdom over the years, but sometimes we still react irrationally.