REV. CANACCI Fear does not rule heroes

Heroes don't turn their back and run away when the hand of fear hits them in the face. They don't think about being heroes; they just are. They don't worry what others think or do. They just react and do what they think should be done. Without a second thought or complaint, they accept the challenge they have encountered.
This reminds me of the man who was arrested for practicing his faith in a country that did not permit freedom of religion. Once in jail, he accepted his circumstances and began to preach to his fellow inmates. One day while he was telling the prisoners the good news of his faith, the guards bolted into the room and seized the man, "You know preaching about God is forbidden in here, now get ready to face your punishment." They took the man out of the room and down the hall to receive his punishment. Everyone knew what was going to happen next. Their new friend was being taken to the beating room.
After a severe beating, the man was taken back to his cell. He was bloodied and bruised, and his face was somewhat disfigured. Surprisingly, his eyes were bright and clear. As he looked around the large cellblock, he said, "Now, brothers, where did I leave off before we were so rudely interrupted?" He continued his message to his congregation of hungry hearts in that prison. His courage spread throughout the entire prison. After some time, many others were spreading his message, and nobody could stop it.
Many people think that heroes with courage have no fear. This is not true. We all encounter fear in our life, but the important thing is how we react to it.
Some people run away from their fear, and some face up to it.
In the jungle, the male lion roars loudly at its prey, while the female lions are waiting behind the prey. If the prey turns around and runs to the rear, it ends up in the trap of the female lions.
Smiling in fear's face
We must face up to the challenges in our life or we will become the prey.
Scripture tells us that fear is not from the Lord. Fear is like the roaring lion, the devil, seeking to devour whom he may.
The same courage that was given to the disciples by the Holy Spirit when they were beaten for spreading the word of God is available today for all. They had the courage to return to the temple area and preach the word, even though the threat of being arrested and beaten again was present. This courage has been passed down from the apostles to the believers of our time. We have many heroes in communist countries that have given their lives over the past century.
Many people have never heard of men like Watchman Nee, who was tortured in Communist China for spreading the word of God. They took away his hands and that did not stop him. He continued to dictate his writings about his belief in the Lord after much torture and abuse. His courage and determination to preach God's word has produced followers who also became great teachers and writers, and they continue doing his work to this day. There are two mistakes we make in life: When things are good, we tend to think they always will be good; when things are bad, we tend to think they always will be bad.
Both ideas are wrong! Life and all it consists of, marriage, relationships, ministry, finances, our approval rating, etc., tend to go up and down in cycles.
There is one constant in all of this: God is faithful to us, and our ability to thrive depends on our faithfulness to him.
The important and decisive factor in life is not what happens to us, but what action we take toward what happens. Don't let the hand of fear dictate your future; be a hero and an example of courage for others.
XThe Rev. Richard A. Canacci is pastor of House of God in Youngstown.