FearLess: 90 Days to Eliminating Fear from Your Life by Joe Pileggi

Author:Joe Pileggi [Pileggi, Joe]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780768485707
Publisher: Destiny Image, Inc.
Published: 2013-10-15T04:00:00+00:00

Day 53

WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?

The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do unto me? (Psalm 118:6)

“Tony…over here.”

“Frank…you’re with me.”

“John…”

And so it went. Every gym class the same. Two captains appointed by the teacher, while the rest of us stood in line—waiting to be picked. Of course, all the athletic jocks were picked first. Then it went down the line to the rest of us. Hopeful, I wondered whose side I would be on. I would size up the teams as to which looked stronger, hoping to be chosen on that one. Finally, as in every class, there was only one left unchosen—me. The captains would look at each other with the look of, “You take him!” Finally, one would say, “Okay, Pileggi, I guess you’re over here. Go stand in right field—and stay out of the way!” By then, it didn’t matter whose side I was on—I wasn’t going to contribute, so who cares? For some strange reason, I just didn’t feel a part of the team.

Have you ever been there? Wondered whose side you were on and if anybody else cared? To that question, David gave an awesome answer: “The Lord is on my side.” Actually, his answer reverses the question. It’s not, “Whose side am I on?” but, “Who is on my side?” When finally I was picked and on a team, I would look around, hoping the best athlete in the class was on our team so it would give us the best chance of winning. When I look around at my life and see that the Lord is on my side, I can more than hope for victory, I am assured of it!

The reason David needed that assurance is revealed in verse 5: “I called on the Lord in distress.” Distress here means, “something tight; trouble.” It comes from a root word that means “to malign, stab with words” (Strong’s, H4712, H6895, H6896). My wife and I are experiencing this right now in the church—from leadership!

Maligning, stabbing words. It has happened throughout our Christian walk of ministry, pastoring, and leadership. Like a physical stabbing, the pain is excruciating. It is difficult to hold back the tears even as I write this. When those with whom you co-labor turn on you and viciously attack you, using the pulpit as their whipping post, it hurts! How do you respond? There are only two options—bitterness and offense, or David’s: “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

You see, David chose the latter. He chose the Lord instead of bitterness. I have often made the wrong choice here. I will not do so this time. I will pray God’s blessing on my brother and move on. I have wasted too many years wallowing in bitterness, unforgiveness, and self-pity. The times in which we live are too crucial to waste any more time wounding one another with friendly fire. The church has lost her focus and

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