Fear vs. Trust

        Proverbs 29:25 can be read in either of two ways, one of which is correct.

        When the writer declares that “one who trusts in the Lord is secure,” it could mean that God will protect such a person from harm in a sort of quid pro quo arrangement. Trust in God, receive God’s protection. This reading fits well with the book of Proverbs’ general espousal of conventional wisdom, which can be contrasted with the counter-wisdom of, for instance, Job. The counter-wisdom tradition acknowledges that moral matters in the real world are not so neat and predictable. In fact, they can be downright messy. Quid pro quo wisdom denies this reality in favor of a fantasy world in which good is always rewarded and evil is always punished, in which the corrupt never prosper and the righteous never go begging, in which trust in God assures blessing, no matter how high the mountain of evidence to the contrary.

        But there is another way to read this verse, one that looks unblinkingly at the messiness of the moral universe and yet persists in a faith relationship with the divine Source of life. To get to this correct reading we must take into account both parts of the couplet that makes up verse 25. The first half of the verse says, “The fear of others lays a snare.” The NRSV footnotes offer an alternative translation: it can be read as “human fear lays a snare.” Either way, the writer seems to be saying that fear—whether a justifiable fear of a hostile other or a garden-variety yet debilitating form of self-doubt or anxiety—sets a trap for the one who gives in to it. To go through life afraid equates to a denial of God, for, as a certain New Testament writer assures us, “God is love” (1 John 4:16), and “perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18).

        This insight helps us to understand the second half of the couplet, “But one who trusts in the Lord is secure.” Far from offering a quid pro quo bargain—I will trust in you as long as you keep me safe from harm—it describes the life of one who refuses to give in to fear. “Trusting in the Lord” is set in direct opposition to “fear of others” (or “human fear”), leaving a stark choice between trust and fear. Those two elements cannot coexist. One who fears finds it impossible to trust, whereas the one who trusts is able to let go of fear and enjoy a secure relationship with the Divine.

        This does not mean that life will necessarily resemble a rose garden for those who choose trust over fear. That’s conventional wisdom talking. Instead, it means that you can go through this messy life with a sense of security because you know that you are held in the strong and caring hands of Love. It’s not a bulletproof vest; it won’t save you from the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or guard you against turmoil, heartache, unjust treatment, or threats to health, life, and limb. But when you walk in trust rather than fear, those consequences seem less dire. Death is no longer the great Enemy but a natural part of the cycle of life. Injustice still rankles, heartache still hurts, cancer still kills. But the one who trusts knows that God is with her. God is for her. God suffers with her suffering and rejoices in her joy. In that dynamic partnership life finds its meaning, and security is a bone-deep experience that cannot be shaken by external events or forces.

        Do you have that sense of security in your life? If not, what can you do to find it and cultivate it? How can you learn to let go of fear and anxiety and replace them with a confident trust in God regardless of your circumstances?

Grace and peace,

bob