Oliver Hazard Perry suffered a psychopathic fear of cows. He would even cross the road to avoid passing a cow. Yet that same man audaciously and fearlessly directed the American fleet against the British on the Great Lakes in the War of 1812.
In the midst of battle, with his ship disabled, he rowed from it to another to keep his command afloat. Petrified of cows, he had no fear of guns, swords, or death. Fear of a single thing did not mean cowardice in all things.
Christians struggle with multiple acts of obedience, and we may think we are not Christians because of that struggle. This is not true. The outcome, not the conflict, determines our place with God. We can have every intention of obeying, yet have to fight ourselves to obey.
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| Oliver Hazard Perry braved bullets and cannon balls to keep his command afloat |
Jesus sympathizes, for he experienced the same struggle when He confronted the cross. His sympathy goes beyond even that. He also understands what it means to accept a burden we don't want to bear, but cannot escape.
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