In Matthew 10:24-42 there are a handful of potential fears that a disciple of Jesus could have. To summarize they are ridicule because if they spoke against Jesus they will speak against you (v25), revealing because everything from their deeds to ours will be revealed (v26), discomfort because Jesus calls us to speak what He shows us (v27), death because there will be those who desire to take the life of the believer (v28), and finally, family rejection because those who do not understand your new devotion to Christ can reject you because they do not know the new you (v35&36).  Jesus calms almost all of these fears by saying don’t fear and which is easier said than done, however, the key to not fearing is found in verse 25 where Jesus says that it is enough for a disciple to become like his teacher. If we look at the life of Jesus we then have an example of how to conquer these fears and that is by relying on God’s power. The greatest example of this would be Jesus praying in the garden before His crucifixion. In that moment of His greatest trial, Jesus went to prayer so our response to times of trial whether persecution, rejection, or just fear should be to seek God in prayer to ask for strength. If the goal of discipleship is to be more like Jesus, then it must be accomplished by moving in His strength and power. This is not a mimicking although there is a time for that but instead true reliance on His power and strength.

Just a thought,

Mike