“On the evening of the first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you! As the father sent me, I am sending you.’”                                     John 20:19, 20 (NIV)

Years ago, we never (or very rarely) locked the doors of our home. It wasn’t until well after I was married that I really began to habitually check the doors and make sure they were locked before going to bed. 

I really only started doing this after waking up one Saturday morning with a neighborhood child peering down at me and my husband as we were sleeping in our bed. We awoke startled and confused. He, however, was just looking for our kids to come out and play on a warm, spring morning.

Obviously this was not a dangerous situation; nonetheless, we thought it was time to make sure we secured our house each night. Not out of fear of the five year old rascal from down the street but from the fear that the next time someone watched us sleep it could be someone with not so innocent intentions.

That’s the world we live in. One with locked doors. We lock ourselves in trying to keep others out. Generally, we do this out of fear – fear of violence, theft, the unknown. You have to be careful because you never know what or who is out there, right?

That fear in our lives is very real and affects each of us in different ways.

Like the disciples, there are times when we lock ourselves behind closed doors physically. Physically trying to keep whatever it is we are afraid of away. More commonly, we lock ourselves up in other ways, emotionally and spiritually.  We do this by avoiding people, events, and situations. We do this when we lock our heart refusing to let anyone in because we have been hurt before.

We are all afraid of something. 

What are you afraid of? And I don’t mean spiders, snakes, or the dark. What is fear keeping you from?

Maybe you are afraid of rejection which keeps you from forming close relationships, or failure which keeps you from trying something new, or losing someone you love which causes you to smother those you hold dear, or being alone which makes you too controlling of those around you.

Whatever it is, God wants to release you from your fear.

Just like the disciples, He wants to bring peace to your life and free you from fear so He can send you out on His behalf.

He is calling us out from behind our locked doors. He longs to send us out.

Whatever it is you are afraid of that keeps you from reaching out or moving ahead, it is time to grab hold of the peace given by God and unlock the doors that lead to greater things in your life. 

Where is He sending you? Do not be afraid. God is there, right beside you offering strength and courage to face whatever it is on the other side of that locked door. 

He is the key to unlocking your fears. 

”So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10