Our society is wracked with fear. Unlike other times in history, however, when rational causes for fear were painfully apparent--such as wars, plagues, and poverty--today's fear arises mysteriously like a creeping fog on a dead-still night to envelop its hapless victims.

Our political leaders are among the most fearful people living today. For example, in what ought to have been a slam-dunk conviction of William Jefferson Clinton on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice, fear drove half of that august body to vote for acquittal. Why? What did they fear?

Top priority for most of our nation's elected leadership is not what they accomplish while in office, but rather how long they remain in office. With opinion polls indicating overwhelming public support for the president, most senators were unwilling to take the chance of political reprisal come next election. Some also feared the uncovering of skeletons in their own closets. By voting to acquit the president, in effect they were casting votes for their own acquittal, should their past indiscretions become public.

Polls that show continuing public support for the president reveal fear in the populace: fear that if Clinton falls, the economy may fall; fear that if we demand moral accountability on the part of our nation's leadership, then someone may hold us accountable for our own moral decisions; and fear that removal of the president may allow some lofty standard of behavior to be accepted by society, thus restricting our freedom to do whatever we please.

World Magazine reports that "[during] the same week he achieved his record numbers on handling the economy, [the president] also logged the lowest "honesty" rating in history, with a paltry 24 percent of Americans saying they trust the man they put in the White House. Only 35 percent say the president shares their values, another record low. And barely 20 percent of respondents think Mr. Clinton provides good moral leadership." [Feb. 13, 1999, p. 17]. Most Americans don't like or trust the guy, but they are afraid of what might happen if he were removed from office.

Fear is lack of confidence in one's ability to deal with tomorrow. The Bible has much to say about fear, with that word occurring 385 times. I will share a few passages:

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear... (1 John 4:18).

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me... (Psalm 23:4)

These words of Jesus help put fear into perspective: Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:25-26)

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Tim 1:7)

Is there anything at all to fear? Indeed, there is: Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28). Most fear is inappropriate.

One of the best accounts ever written about dealing with fear is the story of David and Goliath (found in the Bible in 1 Samuel 17). Toting a "care package" from his father to his brothers in Israel's army, young David found the army encamped on a hill, across the valley from the encampment of the Philistine army.

Every day, a Philistine giant, armed to the teeth and ready for battle, would lumber down into the valley to taunt and challenge Israel to send her best fighter to meet him in battle. Over nine feet in height, wearing 125 pounds of armor, and bearing a spear with a 15-pound point, Goliath presented a fearsome visage. After 40 days of the same routine, no Israelite had accepted his challenge.

David, however, refused to be controlled by what his eyes saw. Rejecting the image of the impossibly huge warrior in front of him, he focused instead on what his heart saw: God's enemy, who would easily be overcome in the name and power of the living God. Running to meet Goliath in battle, David loaded a small stone into his sling and shot it, toppling the giant, sparking the Israeli army into action, and igniting an overwhelming defeat of the Philistine army.

The story of David presents the key to freedom from fear: We must refuse to be dominated by the Goliath of a world set against us. Rather, we must see with our hearts a world that will easily be overcome in the name and power of the living God. As for our politicians, we must demand courage and integrity from them, holding them accountable not only for their personal moral decisions, but for the moral decisions of their co-leaders.