This scripture is part of the second pastoral letter Paul writes to
his colleague Timothy. Paul speaks to Timothy of his willingness to endure
the ups and 'downs' of witnessing for Christ. He encourages Timothy to be
unashamed and fearless in proclaiming the Gospel, the same Gospel through
which Jesus Christ brings life and immortality to those who believe Him (2
Tim. 1:8-10, John 3:16). In this letter, Paul also speaks of the patience,
endurance, and meekness needed in ministry (2 Tim. 2: 21-26). It is my
belief that one of the most pervasive and possessive spirits in the Black
community of men who love men, women who love women, bisexuals, and
transgender persons is the spirit of fear. Many of our efforts to affirm
ourselves in the fullness of our physical, mental, and spiritual being have
been stifled by fear. It might be fear of the past, fear of others dealing
negatively with the truth, a fear of failing to simply be, or a fear of
changing and/or being changed.
The Holy Bible provides us with several stories in which the
overcoming of fear can be viewed as vital to the achievement of victory.
Would David have succeeded in killing Goliath if he were afraid? Would
Shadrach, Mesach, and Abednego have survived the fiery furnace if they were
afraid that God wouldn't deliver them? Would Stephen have been able to speak
to the hypocrisy of his accusers if he was afraid of their criticism? As one
strives to grow in the love and knowledge of the Holy Spirit, one should
examine how fear influences the faith of God in one's life. Let's examine
two kinds of fear many same gender loving people might find themselves
confronting.
The first fear considered is the fear of embracing one's sexual
identity in a spiritual fashion. In One More River to Cross: Being Black and
Gay in America, Keith Boykin writes,
As long as there is a fear of self-acceptance and lack to embrace one's
sexual identity in a spiritual fashion, then homophobia will continue to be
the Enemy's stronghold over the Black same gender loving community. How long
will some black homosexuals continue to live their lives according to
other's norms in order to be accepted? Now this is not to say that all
societal norms for good behavior should be overturned, but it is to say that
we as black non-heterosexuals were made by God and not by Man (Psalms
100:3). Notice how fear of embracing identity manifests itself in our
community:
1. Fear of rejection due to sexual identity leads many persons to adopt a
"down-low" attitude. It causes many of us to not wish to identify with any
adjectives (i.e. gay, homosexual, same gender loving) or definitions (i.e.
one who is attracted to another of the same gender) that describes our
non-heterosexual attraction.
2. Fear of belief in same-gender, long-term relationships has caused many
persons to accept promiscuity and anonymous sex (public, private, or
semi-private) as a norm in the non-heterosexual community. Think about it.
How many times have you heard someone say, "Well, Chile, you know all the
men in D.C. (substitute your own hometown here if you wish) just want sex!
Most of them don't want to have a romantic relationship and none of them are
really ready anyhow!" or "I wouldn't trust these faggots/dykes as far as I
could throw them!"
3. A fear of rejection leads many of us to leave and/or harshly criticize
the Church or remain silent in the church on the issue of sexuality and
divinity.
In order to overcome this fear, God wants you to begin to draw closer to
Him. His grace is sufficient for you (2 Corinthians 12:9) and His love for
you is always abounding. Just as David, Daniel, Moses, and many other
characters in the Bible did not allow fear of identity to halt their budding
relationship with God, you must not allow fear of rejection and/or embracing
your total being spiritually to prohibit you spiritual growth. Remember that
God created sexuality (Isaiah 45:7) and He will direct you in all aspects of
your life if you let Him (Proverbs 3:5-6).
The second type of fear being considered is the fear of an imperfect
past. Many people are uncomfortable with the bad sides or sins of their
past. Such discomfort could lead one to hide one's past. One becomes afraid
that the knowledge of such acts could be used as weapons to demean one's
character or blacken one's reputation. Remember to make your faults and/or
burdens, weaknesses, and shortcomings stepping stones of strength and not
abodes for unhealthy shame. We all have some burden or struggle (Galatians
6:5) and such a struggle does not have to be viewed in a solely negative
manner. For example, Habakkuk referred to bearing God's word as a burden
(Habakkuk 1:1). As a second example, suppose you're one who really
appreciates the beauty of men of African descent. Without self-control, such
an appreciation can lead to temptation when working out and/or showering at
the gym. Nevertheless, one can strive to overcome this by remembering that
Jesus is one's refuge (Matthew 16:24), the focus in the gym is to work out,
and that one's physical fitness can be a holy thing. In turn, you overcome
the fear of people knowing one's burdens by living a life that expresses
faith and love of God simultaneously and above one's burdens.
Finally, when
someone tries to use your past against you, remember that God insures you
not to worry about such actions. Psalms 37:1-6 say, " Do not fret because of
evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon
be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. Trust in the
Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight
yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to
pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your
justice as the noonday." Decommission the stewards of your past. That is,
those persons who will see you only in terms of who you were and not who you
are currently. Stewards of your past become very shortsighted. After all,
whomever the Son sets free shall be free indeed (John 8:36) and God's
freedom includes freedom from a shameful past and freedom from people who
guard your past and use it against you.
In conclusion, we can achieve spiritual victory over fear by
recognizing the body as a temple (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). This means that
your body is house of worship of the Lord and worship of Him must come from
you the temple. Let your life as exhibited in your thoughts, words, and
deeds be a praise unto God (James 1:22). The Lord wishes for us to be
"clean" temples in His eyes. For some persons cleanliness will mean denial
of certain behaviors or thoughts (Proverbs 23:7). For others, cleanliness
will mean walking righteously before all men (Ephesians 5:2, 8). We can all
achieve victory over fear by remembering that fear is not a gift of the Holy
Spirit. Combining these notions yields a great victory over fear. After all,
knowing who you are in Christ is an affirmation and revelation of your
identity and your divine purpose.
Although only two kinds of fear were
considered in this essay, there may be other kinds of fear in your life that
you wish to conquer. Do you have a fear of trusting others? A fear to open
up to others about yourself? A fear of going broke financially or
spiritually? You're encouraged to apply the Scripture references in this
essay to any fear of your life. This is the beauty of God and His word
expressed in a simple yet majestic fashion. He comes to help you in anything
that you're going through or dealing with, and He wants you to receive all
that He has in store for your life if you recognize His worthiness to be
praised and worshipped with your life. Revelation 4:11 says, "You are
worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all
things, And by Your will they exist and were created."
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One More River to Cross : Black and Gay in America Keith Boykin Respecting the Soul: Daily Reflections for Black Lesbians and Gays Keith Boykin
Or search Amazon.com for books related to GLBT people and Christianity.
Other Articles by Shurron Farmer:
Also In This Issue:
Learning to Be Afraid the Right Way
My Least Favorite Four Letter Word
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