My favorite part about the October season is to look at the way b-movie tropes can actually teach us to grow closer in our relationship to Christ. Say whaaat? Yeah that’s right, God moves in many ways, and I often see spiritual truths in movies and b-movies. It’s like, part of my blog. One of my favorite b-movies of all time is George Romero’s, “Night of the Living Dead.” Fun fact, b-movies is an old-school film term that referred to the movie that played after the a-movie at old Nickelodeons. You just got a mini history lesson. Now we see it as meaning a “bad” movie, but often it was a lower budget film. George Romero made the movie that created the modern zombie film genre today. You know, the hordes of mindless creatures that eat people and turn them into another member of their mindless feasting (yuck!). What happens in every zombie flick is the horde of monsters continues to grow and as our survivors fall, the heroes begin to lose heart. They become overwhelmed by the horde, falling to their fears one by one. Their fears overcome them, and the same is true for many of you.

Now, Zombies are in fiction only. I’m not saying many of you have to make a run to work every day to avoid being a human snack. What I am saying is that we often give into the pressures of fear. Last week I wrote on the number one command that is in the bible, “fear not,” and variations of it, but what about the fears that come from a growing issue. We face fears about things like being unable to find a job, dealing with an illness that your body can’t seem to shake, or an addiction that causes your soul to burn with the thought of one day finally being free. These fears are big, life altering, and as we stare into the heart of fear, the horde grows larger. Our friends seem to succumb as we run together and hope dies. We can’t run anymore, because the fears seem to be all encompassing. But you aren’t in a zombie movie, you aren’t alone, you have a God who is bigger than anything, and we can trust him in all things. In Christ, we can overcome great fear.

Seek the Lord, and you will overcome.

Seems kinda simplistic. You might actually be annoyed at me right now, “but you have no idea what I’m dealing with, you’ve never faced fear like I am right now.” And partially that could be true, I’ve never personally had a health illness, but I can tell you, I have faced great fear. I have seen the stronghold addiction plays in the life of one of my family members. I have dealt with depression and the feeling that there isn’t much hope. I have seen family members pass away, and been to too many funerals for my friends who were like brothers. I have been in a position where I didn’t know what I was going to do in my life. I have known great fear, but I have seen a bigger God. I know I’m being goofy and talk about zombie flicks on this blog, but I know the power of fear. David also had great fear. Psalm 27 is a chapter about how we have nothing to fear when we seek after the Lord. The chapter is vulnerable and raw, in the beginning he is facing armies ready to kill, yet he is relying on God to deliver him, and God does. Soon after, he falls back into worries, but again shifts his mind to seek the Lord. We have a battle to face. I want you to read through Psalm 27 and dog ear the page, write in the margins, underline; do whatever because if you are struggling, this is for you. It ends by saying this, “I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

The word, “wait,” is not passive but active. It is the Hebrew word, “qavah,” which means to look for, a hope, to expect. It is an active seeking on the Lord, and as you seek, you will overcome.

Rise up, hero.

The truth is, life isn’t easy. I know your fears are real. The complications came, you lost your best friend, you can’t seem to escape your addiction; life is not easy. As I said last week though, fear is from Satan, and the devil is a stupid liar. My friend Daniel and I read a great Green Lantern comic a couple weeks ago and he made the comment that he smelled a blog post because of it. He was right, the comic was great, but it got me thinking about the character. Green Lanterns are space cops, heroes that all carry a ring of power. They get this ring in a moment where they overcome great fear. In a moment where they choose to not give in to fear, no matter how scary their situation is, they choose to stand. In that moment they are chosen, and they become a hero. I think God is waiting for you to choose him, to stand in the face of fear and rise up. I think God wants you to trust him in all things, so you can become the hero you were always meant to be.

So, rise up, hero.

We are all on a journey, and we have to face a great deal of struggles, but in all things, we can trust in the creator of all. We aren’t in a zombie movie, and while it seems like the horde is growing and our fellow survivors are falling prey to fear, we have the ability to overcome great fear. We don’t have to live as a slave to fear. Fear is from the devil, and he’s a stupid liar. We have a God that made you. Every part of you was created in his image with a purpose for your life. You were called to be great, God wants to give you power over fear. Seek him and trust that God will move, no matter how scary the challenges may be. You’re a hero, heroes rise above fear, and stand for truth.

Seek Christ and overcome great fear.

-Joshua Thomas