Unsettling Fear

Dear Jesus, help me, I need help. I don’t know what to do. Please, I need You. Right now I need You. I can’t do this. I might embarrass myself. I’m scared.

Fear is a common denominator.

Fear drives behavior. Fear holds people back from being all they could be. What would you do differently if you weren’t so afraid? Think about it for a minute. What would you do if you weren’t so afraid to do it?

Fear is a form of opposite or oppositional vibes. Fear derails trust and welcomes doubt. Fear holds you hostage. Fear makes you feel less-than, incapable, or stupid. Fear drives your behavior in an uncomfortable way.

You can change the trajectory of your life by countering fear and its lies by thinking on what is true. The truth about yourself is that you are good enough and worthy. God made you worthy and capable like He did the rest of us.

Fear is often the emotion behind self-defeating thoughts. When it grips you, you can call it out, “I feel fearful.” Then you can calm yourself with a countering message. “I can do this. It’s fear telling me that I can’t.” That’s what I do and it helps more often than not.

God is in Control

Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Philippians 4:8

God has not given you a spirit of fear. He has given you a sound mind. Fear isn’t from God. God’s words can help dismantle fear’s grip on your mind and emotions to set you free of fear’s effects. It takes recognition of this fact, that fear’s having its way with you, and then having a counter response at the ready.

It can be as simple as saying “Help me, help me, help me” or “In Christ, I can do this.” You can get yourself all in a tizzy over things that are scary to you but are beyond your ability to control. That’s a waste of energy, but it happens. I should know, fearing the worst comes naturally to me.

God says, “Trust me.” Fear can’t ruin your life when you choose to give your troubles to God. He will help you. Fear can be an ongoing problem and sometimes you will get anxious. But fear doesn’t own you. You are in charge of your life. Need some help? Call on Father God. Ask Him to give you the words, thoughts, or answers.

There are levels fear just like there are levels of love. But sometimes a person can be in bondage to fear to the degree that it controls their mind, outlook, and self-perceptions. A coworker friend once gave me a booklet written by Norman Vincent Peale that had verses to memorize to counter the effects of the message of fear. I thought it especially effective.

You can think of verses of peace, trust, and hope. Write them down. Pray them out loud. Say them every day until they are imprinted in your mind. (This works well) Cause yourself to relax as you say them slowly and as many times as is helpful.

This is a start, there are many ways to address the bondage to fear that may overshadow your life. If this is you, don’t run from it, instead, run to answers.

At the Ready

Fear tries to master you until you counter it with a message of truth. At least, that’s how it works for me. I’ve trained my mind to trust in Jesus by picturing myself leaning on His Everlasting Arms. That picture helps me relax until my heart stops pounding. You come up with your own go-to protocol; a picture, verse, or sentence that you can recall when fears beset you.

One note: This post is not about major dangers. Some fears are magnified by real life situations that are fear inducing because of the danger factor. In that case, you need good counsel, an out, and prayer warriors in your corner, especially if any harm could come to you or you have to face something very unpleasant. I felt unnatural fear when I had to go to court in a custody battle. The presence of evil was real, the confusion was of the enemy. I needed prayer and my church family, friends, and my extended family were all praying.

Anyone can change their go-to reaction.