Article May 6, 1985 Issue

Refuse to be intimidated!

EDWIN G. LEEVER

Some people—and nations—do try to intimidate others. They try to bully and threaten them, make them quiver, and keep them in awe. You might say they try to overawe their opponents—and that's exactly how my dictionary defines "intimidate."

But why should we let anyone overawe us? In fact, how could we if we are truly standing in awe of and revering God, and God alone? This awe is out of love, not out of fear; it is based on the proofs we have of God's care.

Our Master, Christ Jesus, could not be terrorized. He always knew where he stood and what he was standing for, even when his very life was in danger. At one time he was about to be thrown over a cliff. Now that's intimidating! "But," as the Scripture simply relates, "he passing through the midst of them went his way."^{See Luke 4:28-30.} Jesus revered God as the only power and source of being. He refused to be intimidated by the hostile crowd. The result: he walked right through them unharmed and, I'm sure, unimpressed.