Fear and trembling

Maybe there are times when you experience the “fear and trembling” that St. Paul talks about in his visit to the Christian community in Corinth. He didn’t know how he would be perceived, when he arrived to preach the gospel. He didn’t know if he would be accepted or even if he would be up to the task he had taken on.

So what got him through his challenging times? What helped him overcome his fears and hesitations? Quite simply, it was his faith that the Lord walked with him, and that it was God’s power working through him. He relied on God for the courage and strength to get the job done.

Relying on God’s presence and strength can be a big help to us, whenever we face a challenge in our personal or professional life. Perhaps it is a move to a different place, or a new job, or new people to interact with, or health challenges, or relationship issues.

Living in the world of God’s Spirit, the world of loving service, the world of peace and justice, the world of dedicating ourselves to living in solidarity with all people–this is the world we are called to as people of faith. And we can be certain that the Lord walks with us every step of the way, even in those times we feel out of step with who we are called to be.

“My message and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom, but on the power of God.” (I Corinthians 2:4-5)