Genesis 12:10-20

Fear can be a motivating emotion.  When a bear enters our tent, fear motivates us to fight or flight.  This fear would be considered a good thing.  Fear can also motivate to non-action.  A person may be so afraid of a bear entering his tent that he never goes camping.  No one is immune to fear.  Young and old, good and evil and wise and foolish all experience fear.

When Abram and his wife were forced by famine to go to Egypt, fear began to move in his heart and mind.  Abram feared for his life.  He was afraid that the Pharaoh would kill him in order to take his beautiful wife.  Motivated by fear Abram took action.  He deceived the Pharaoh and identified Sarai not as his wife but as his sister.  In fear Abram chose to trust himself rather than God.

At first Abram’s plan seemed to be working.  The Pharaoh took Sarai to be his wife, and treated Abram very well as her brother.  Abram had forgotten that sin always hurts.  It was Abrams sin, but Egypt paid a price. God punished the pharaoh and his household with severe plagues.  The Pharaoh confronted Abram with his sin, and kicked him and his household out of Egypt.

Fear can motivate even a good man to sin, but it cannot make him sin.  The motivation of fear forces us to make a choice.  We can choose to remain faithful or we can choose to be sinful.  Fear can make the choice hard, but the right choice will make our faith stronger.