It is an offense to Yahweh for a man or woman of God to support, feed, or encourage the fears, worries, and anxieties of others.
It’s also an offense to the same God to guilt and shame them for those fears, worries, and anxieties. Jesus didn’t do that. The apostles didn’t do that. They acknowledged that people are fearful when they need not be. They do have worries and anxieties about things they should not.
What Jesus and the apostles did was speak to the fear, worry, stress, and anxiety. “Fear not.” “Don’t be anxious.” “Fret not.” They reminded those who are fearful, worrisome, or anxious about who their God is and what their God has already done in them and around them. Then, they instructed the weak on how to take their thoughts captive, redirect them, and renew their trust in the One to whom they have completely surrendered their entire lives.
When I’m fearful or worried about something that I know I should not be (and I am), I don’t want my brothers and sisters in Christ to placate me and justify or rationalize my lack of faith and trust in the One who saved me. I want them to lovingly speak TRUTH into my life.
We as the body of Jesus Christ need to make a commitment to one another that we will not participate in fearmongering – either as an instigator or a participant.
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7
Minimizing me...making much of Jesus 