Are you controlled by fear, doubt, or anger?

“Let’s climb the “Stairway to Heaven”

“What is that, Steve,?” I asked.

“It is a stairway used by the military for top secret radio transmissions during WWII. It has over 3,000 stairs straight up.  It gets scary”

“I’m in let’s go!”

Steve, Vicky and I headed for  Kaneohe  to begin our adventure.

We were stationed together at Barbers Point, Hawaii.  We flew on C-130’s together as part of a communications crew.

We arrived at the stairway and signed the waiver stating that the establishment was not responsible if you were injured.

The Hawaiian sun was warm and the sky was clear.

We began to climb.

After the first 1,000 stairs, we were gaining altitude.

“I am afraid of heights, you two.”

Steve and Vicky assured me that if we took it slow, we would be safe.

The climb was strenuous, but the view was breathtaking.

One point in the climb the stairs went straight up, like a ladder. 

“There are no rails, if we make one false move we could fall.”

Steve and Vicky assured me I could do it.

“Don’t look down when you climb, think of it like the ladder going into the cockpit of our plane.”

I began my climb.  My knees felt like jello as I looked around me.

“Don’t look down, Cherrilynn, you are almost there!”

I felt the excitement of accomplishment, then I looked down. 

I froze with fear.

“Cherrilynn, why did you stop, are you OK?”

Vicky was my best friend; she knew I did not scare easily.

“I ccccan’t move.”

After the longest ten minutes of my life, they could not coax me to move.  Not even a finger.

I was filled with fear.   It controlled every fiber of my being.

Steve risked his life, came up behind me and guided me to the ledge above.

The word “filled” in the New Testament means controlled by.

1,000 feet  from the ground, gripping a ladder, I was filled with fear. It dominated my mind & body. Steve helped me focus on the goal, and my fear diminished.

Let’s look at some examples from the Bible:

Jesus’ enemies were filled with rage and wanted to destroy him.

“But they themselves were filled with rage, and discussed  together what they might do to Jesus.”  Luke 6:11

Acts 5:17 speaks of the Sadducees being “filled with jealousy.” Their jealousy controlled their thinking and behavior, so  they laid hands on the apostles and put them in jail. 

What controls you today?  Fear? Doubt? Worry? Anger?

God has the solution.

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18.

At the moment of salvation, God poured His spirit into our hearts.  The fruit of the spirit includes self-control.

“God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7

On the side of the mountain, I focused on the goal and not my fear. We made it to the top and basked in the beauty of God’s creation.

What are you controlled by today?  Focus on God and give the Holy Spirit control.

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