As a kid, I did things that terrified me. All the time. I rarely had a choice in the matter.
For example, my uncle lives in Montana. It’s my belief that your level of “Montanan-ness” is directly correlated with the number of animals on your wall. The centerpiece of my uncle’s hunting trophies was a large black bear torso hung over the couch in their basement—the couch that doubled as my bed for the night.
That night, I tossed. I turned. I cried. I played dead. (That’s what you’re supposed to do, right?) The only thing I was more afraid of than that bear was admitting to my family that I was afraid. I forced my eyes to close, while still all too aware of the claws, teeth, and glinting bear eyes looming over me.
Six-year-old me woke up the next morning, jubilant. I had done it. I survived the bear. As I bounced on the couch with pride, relief, and joy, I summed up my emotions in one word to the unresponsive bear: “Ha!”
In Daniel 3, three men express courage beyond anything I can imagine. As a king demands everyone bow to his statue, these three men stay upright, literally standing out among thousands of others who worshipped an idol out of fear. The king sets them on the brink of a blazing furnace and demands that they worship him. Their statement gives me chills thousands of years later:
“We might be thrown into the blazing furnace. But the God we serve is able to bring us out of it alive . . . Even if we knew that our God wouldn’t save us, we still wouldn’t serve your gods.” (Daniel 3:17-18)
I can imagine the king’s smug expression as the three men were thrown into the fire. I can imagine the sound of burning, the screams, the silence, and then . . . something unexpected. I can imagine a single word drifting out of the roar of the fire: “Ha!”
Those three walked out of the fire, unharmed—not a single hair on their heads singed. What I love about that story is this: to know God’s true power, they had to be in the fire.
As an adult, I still have fears, but I rarely do something that I’m genuinely afraid of. When we visit others, my wife and I usually get the guest room. I’m grateful for the lack of bears, but I’ve noticed, when there is a lack of fear in my life, there is also a lack of wonder. Without feeling fear, I never get to laugh at what I was afraid of. If I never step into the fire, I’ll never know what a miracle feels like.
What scares you?
Is it contacting that family member you had a falling out with? Is it inviting your neighbors to church, or maybe just meeting them? Is it leaning into the challenges your teenage kids are facing? Is it welcoming a foster child into your home, standing out for your faith, or choosing to follow God over your friend group?
It's time to do scary things.
Maybe you feel like you’re in the fire right now. Each day, hour, or minute feels like you’re on a knife’s edge. This isn’t a challenge for you. Instead, I hope this is an encouragement. God is there, by your side. In the fire.
Maybe you’re thinking about stepping into a messy, painful, or scary situation. It may hurt, but you also could see God move in an amazing way. One day, you’ll open your eyes, look that bear in the face, and shout, “Ha!”
You’ll never know until you take that first step.
