Fear is a funny thing. Its crippling effect causes people to run or freeze or cry or scream and everyone has a fairly unique way of responding to it. We pray to be free from fear. We avoid situations or things that cause us to be fearful. Why are we so afraid of little things? Why are we so afraid of the world?
Well we should be afraid of the world, shouldn’t we? After all there are terrorists and wars and sociopaths, right? Martyrs roam the earth; no religion is exempt. Our world is full of bad people. So don’t let your children travel into the world. Don’t let young people experience new cultures, they might lose their religion, get hurt, kidnapped or become the next subject of a suicide bomber. Keep them safe at home. That’s the responsible thing to do, right?
Wrong.
Kind of.
While the world is indeed full of dangerous things, we shouldn’t fear harm or danger that accompanies travel. We shouldn’t live in fear of what can harm the body, but rather to fear the things that can harm the mind (Matthew 10:28). Bestselling author Katie Davis said in the introduction of her book, Kisses from Katie, “Jesus called His followers to be a lot of things, but I have yet to find where He warned us to be safe. We are not called to be safe, we are simply promised that when we are in danger, God is right there with us. ” What a beautiful thing.
Of course, many would argue that the above paragraph alone is a warning of the dangers of the world, and logic would tell us to avoid it. Danger is uncomfortable. We become afraid.
I’m afraid of a lot of things. I’m afraid of my family moving on without me while I move halfway across the world to New Zealand for school. I’m afraid my siblings will create their own inside jokes and forget about me. I’m afraid of becoming a stranger to my family. I fear moving to Africa because, while I know God will be with me in my missionary attempts, it will be hard.
You probably have much to fear as well too. Maybe you fear taking your dream trip to Europe because terrorist attacks occur frequently in European airports. Perhaps fear is keeping you from speaking up when someone degrades your friend’s personality. Maybe fear is keeping you from trusting God for your child’s faith. Maybe you fear for someone who is sick.
Fear and safety are often linked together. When in danger, we are often afraid. So we pray that God would wipe the fear away. We hope we will no longer be afraid.
But even the bravest of us are afraid. I’m sure Martin Luther King, Jr. was a bit afraid before giving his speech.
Our prayer shouldn’t be for fear to be eradicated in our hearts. No, we should pray that in our hearts, we would let God shine brighter than our fears. That His glory and power and everything good would surpass what makes us tremble. Nelson Mandela said, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
The recognition of the goodness of God and what he has made good should eclipse our fears. His love conquers fear.
I’ve experienced some scary things in different countries. Some of those experiences should make me never want to return to those countries. I should be afraid of something similar happening, something out of my control. My parents should want me to stay at home, forever safe from harm. However, both my parents and I choose to see that all the good things that happened in each country outweigh the bad that happened. The people I affected, the things I learned, they outweigh any time I thought I might be at risk. Yet we know, I was, still am, and always will be in God’s hands. I choose to see God in every place I’ve gone, whether I encountered danger or not. It’s a choice, just like forgiveness, that I have to consciously choose to remember, every single day.
Some people have told my parents they are “doing the wrong thing for letting me go to dangerous countries.” What makes a country dangerous? Danger is relative. If I am correct, every country is dangerous. Relatively speaking, that is.
There is not a single place on earth that is completely safe (yes, even in Iceland). It’s true, there are many countries much more hazardous than others, but that has never held me back. I am always in God’s hands. You’ll hear some stories throughout the next couple of months of the danger I have been in, minor or not. Adversity doesn’t mean God is absent, it means His providence is in control of the outcome. He calls us to pray that we would see He is bigger than any fear of physical or mental harm; that we would trust him when he is right there in every situation.
So much good can come from young adults travelling abroad to see and experience the diversity of the planet they live on. They can see poverty, think outside of their bubble, spend a couple of weeks outside their comfort zone, and be inspired to help. Maybe even share the gospel. Parents: when it comes to worrying if travelling puts them at risk of harm or cause the loss of their faith, why are you afraid? God has the perfect plan for their life. Instead of being afraid of this, trust God and disciple your children. Show them God’s providence and let them discover His plan for their life. Let them know that the things of the earth are dangerous and scary. Teach them to be cautious. It’s a slippery slope when teens are coddled in the comforts of their home. Young adults need to put their own faith into practice, but how can they do that if their biggest worries are their hair and makeup? Seeing the world sin corrupted can help teens’ faith grow as they are forced to concentrate on someone besides themselves and trust God fully; isn’t that what life is really about?
Sin entered the world and twisted what God made good. So instead of letting them blame God when they see or experience horrific things, teach them to pray for and address the evil of the world. The evil that sin brought out. When I travel abroad, I realise I am so blessed with what I was born into. I personally think this realisation has helped me, as well as other young Christians, see God’s plans and protection through difficult situations. We are alive by grace alone, whether poor or wealthy, so we shouldn’t shelter young adults from the hard truths of the world. They need to know the bad that is occurring and discover how we can help fight the good fight. We can’t save everyone from harm, but we can be an instrument in them knowing that they have been saved from eternal separation from Jesus Christ.
However, NONE of this means we should go venturing into countries that our very presence can cause us harm, like Syria or Afghanistan. Those countries are in war. Would you have visited Germany during World War II? Probably not. Nor should your kids.
It means for the countries you do visit, be mindful. Be a thoughtful voyager. In countries with different cultures than yours, adhere to the customs. Wear skirts and loose pants in Tanzania. Cover your shoulders in Turkey. Talk quietly in France. Don’t be the loud, immodest, drunk American tourist. They are disliked by most every country, so do your part and be safe by blending in. For many places, you are only in danger when you put yourself at risk by not heeding caution. Whenever I visit an even “semi” dangerous country, I keep my wits about me. I try not to stand out. By God’s grace I haven’t gotten in any long-term danger and that’s because God has been right there with me and given me wisdom in different situations. Even if something ever happens, God is still good, and is still leading you, me, and your children. I’m not saying Christians will always be safe in foreign countries, but you can rest assured God is holding you in his palms.
God doesn’t call you to be safe, but that doesn’t mean you can waltz around being stupid. Be wise. Be mindful of your surroundings. Don’t drink from disease ridden rivers. Don’t forget bug spray. But most of all, don’t be afraid; you’re in the hands of the Creator of the universe.
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