Whistling in the Dark

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- The phrase, "whistling in the dark," has a couple of different meanings.

It is sometimes used to indicate someone is pretending to be brave when they are actually afraid or uncertain. It has also been used to describe a person who talks confidently without actually know what he or she is talking about.

However, the usage that is the most positive and the most inspiring is this: Maintaining faith or a positive attitude overall, even when faced with a difficult or frightening situation.

We human beings do the first two quite often. We sometimes put on a happy face, even though we are scared to death. Too often, we speak with confidence about things we know little about. However, when we speak of God, we speak of One who teaches us to do the third version of "whistling in the dark." In the season leading up to Easter and in the weeks that follow Easter Sunday, Christians focus upon both the darkness that surrounds the evil actions of people in the world, while balancing the fact that, in the face of all of that, we serve a God who continually reminds us not to fear.

One source says that the phrase "fear not," or "do not be afraid" appears over three hundred times in the Bible. That means two things. First, there are many reasons to fear in this world, and we need to be reminded not to do so. Second, and most importantly, this fact reminds us that we serve a God who is compassionate and loving and wants us to follow him in faith and trust and not in fear.

God does not "scare us to death" or bully us with fear tactics. God leads us with compassion and grace.
So, when we are afraid -- and sometimes we are -- remember that there are more reasons to trust than there are to fear. Also, remember to listen closely to the God who whistles in the dark. God knows us, loves us and is with us, so that we can live in faith, not fear.