I don’t know about you, but fear is the greatest
impediment to my serenity and ability to
accomplish healthy goals. It is a “corrupting and
corroding thread” which permeates many
different facets of my life. As it has been said,
fear primarily falls into one or both of these
categories:
1)Fear of losing what we have; and
2)Fear of not getting what we want.
It's from this point that all fear begins.
Most people remember the famous quote:
"Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing
we have to fear is fear itself - nameless,
unreasoning, unjustified terror, which paralyzes
needed efforts to convert retreat into advance"
(March 3, 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt).
It's true. Fear invades and self-perpetuates
until it finds the destruction it seeks. I read a
great pamphlet on the subject called "When
Fear Seems Overwhelming: Finding Courage &
Hope" published by RBC Ministries. It was really
good reading so I thought I would provide some
information from it here.
We cannot escape fear. So, how do we respond
when we feel afraid?
The Terminology of Fear
Fear:
- immediate and intense emotional alarm that
alerts us to the presence of danger. Focus is on
protection.
Anxiety:
-feeling of apprehension after the feeling of
danger has subsided. Worry about future
events. Dread. Empowers us for action or
paralyzes us.
The Biology of Fear
- Physical symptoms we don't choose - they kick
in (rapid breathing, heartbeat, etc.). It's not
just biochemical. It also depends on our
personal experiences and upbringing.
The Source of Fear
1) Danger. The word trouble denotes
"tribulation, affliction, anguish, and burden".
The troubles we face or fear to face. Fear of
pain or loss. We struggle most with fear and
doubt in our relationships. Satan incites these
fears and doubts.
2) Desperation. Fearing what we cannot
control. Fear of not being about to preserve
what or who we cherish. Where there is
freedom, there is fear.
3) Disconnection. "Man" first felt vulnerable
from the beginning due to being separated from
his Creator. He was cut off emotionally,
relationally, and spiritually cut off from his life-
giving God. We are fearful when our sense of
well-being is threatened. Our disconnection, or
perceived disconnection, fuels our fearful
struggle with insecurity, inadequacy, and self-
doubt.
The Function of Fear
Obviously, we need some fear in our lives,
otherwise things would get too out of control
and dangerous. Too much fear, however, can
suffocate creativity and reduce life to mere
survival. Fears can become obsessions. They
erode confidence in ourselves that we can
handle situations and our life in general. We
become insecure (which is tied to our core
longing for love and acceptance), feel
inadequate (our desire to believe that we make
a difference in life), and become mired in self-
doubt.
Faulty Ways of Dealing with Fear
1) Numbing. Ignoring fears or using other
things in order not to feel, such as alcohol, sex,
drugs, food, etc. This actually makes us more
vulnerable because we fail to deal with feelings
and can be taken advantage of by persons who
do not have our best interests at heart.
2) Masking. Using anger and aggression instead
of dealing with feelings of fear. Obviously,
anger and aggression can leads to lots of trouble.
3) Minimizing. Pretending feelings of fear are
not important. These feelings will then come
back to haunt us later or will deprive us of
experiencing relationships or life events to the
fullest.
4) Rationalizing. Explain them away. Mind over
feelings. Closes off healthy dialogue and
disconnects us from deeper feelings that need to
be dealt with.
5) Exaggerating. Blowing things out of
proportion - leading to panic attacks, phobias,
paranoia, etc.
Overcoming Fear
God is bigger than all of our fears. He desires to
empower us to dismantle and demolish fear's
strongholds in our lives (2 Cor 10:4). Life is
never risk free, but freedom from overwhelming
fear empowers us to enjoy all that God offers us
in a fallen world.
1) Face your fears. Feel them. Put descriptive
words to them. Talk to someone. Keep a
journal. These things will help you be more
objective about them.
2) Learn from your fears. Look at the basics
first. Am I not taking care of myself (not eating
well, sleeping enough, exercising)? Am I
blowing things out of proportion? If we rule this
out, find the core issue at hand. What exactly
do we fear?
3) Relinquish unhealthy fears. Desire God more
than relief from pain.
4) Cultivate healthy fears. Avoid abusive
situations and people. Establish boundaries.
5) Move in spite of your fears. Walk through
them. "Act as if". Believe nothing "vital" is at
stake. Most of the time, what we are fearing
cannot kill us. Rely on God.
The Sum of all Fears
"Cowards die many times before their deaths;
the valiant never taste death but once"
(Shakespeare). In Psalm 23:4, David describes
scrapes with death in "the valley of the shadow
of death". He can also be said to be referring to
more than just physical death. He was referring
to those treacherous chasms in our lives that are
so dark and lonely that they frighten us. It is
during those times that we need the
reassurance of the only good and trustworthy
Shepherd who is qualified to lead us through the
valley: God.
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
