“Fear not.”
An oft-repeated
Commandment.
A loving invitation.

Because isn’t that
What all commandments are?

Loving invitations
To trust God
Instead of worrying
That all might be lost.

Loving invitations
To focus on Him
Instead of the storm
And the waves and the wind.

Loving invitations
To zoom out.
To look up
From seemingly
Massive problems
And obstacles
And try to see it
From His perspective.
In the context
Of eternity.

Not to say that
Fear is always bad –
After all
It’s an instinct
Given to us
To keep us safe
From falling
From high places
Sometimes.
But I suppose
If we are trying to act
And not
Be acted upon,
Then perhaps
That instinct –
All instincts? –
Must be
Acknowledged
Examined
Put into their rightful place
And proper order,
Not just running the show
Or the airplane
AKA our lives
On autopilot.
Right?

And maybe
The reason
The phrase
Is so often
Repeated in scripture,
Is because
When God says,
“Fear Not”

What He really means is:
“Trust Me.”