What Do We Do With Fear?
When fear seizes us we have a hard time thinking clearly.
Seeing straight. Making wise decisions.
When fear seizes us we have a hard time thinking clearly. Seeing straight. Making wise decisions.
It’s quite disheartening to realize more and more how fear is becoming such a common experience in our lives. So much so, I wonder if we even realize it.
Politicians use it in their rhetoric to sway our votes. Organizations use it as part of their mailing campaigns to raise money. And us. Well, it seems we use it with each other to make a point or force someone to change the way they think or do what we want.
And yet, I imagine we would all agree, nothing good comes from letting fear drive our lives.
For the last several weeks, we’ve looked at some of the emotions we feel when life doesn’t go the way we hoped — frustration, intimidation, and guilt. Each one poisons our relationships when we mix it with fear.
Think about it. At home, when guilt is fueled by fear, we can become impulsive and make terrible financial decisions or regrettable personal, relational choices with our kids or spouse.
Or at work, when fear mingles with intimidation or frustration in our mind, we might become controlling or micro managing, or still worse, manipulating.
So what’s the alternative?
How can we recognize the power of fear? Especially, in our relationships?
Then, how can we begin to think and behave differently?
Well, we can start by recognizing we have the ability to make a choice. Yes, that’s right a choice. Contrary to popular opinion, we are not victims to our emotions. We can choose their opposite.
Friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse (Philippians 4:8-9, MSG).
Seems we are not the only people in history to be challenged by fear. This was written thousands of years ago.
Reflective Response: From the passage above, write down these words in your journal: “true,” “noble,” “reputable,” “authentic,” “compelling,” and “gracious.” Beside them, write words, phrases, people, or experiences that define them for you.
So, for instance, to me, the word “authentic” means:
my husband,
expressing my inmost thoughts to God,
laughing out loud with a friend,
being moved to tears while watching a movie,
worshipping God with music.
These are some of the things I find authentic.
Let your list for each word be as long or short as you like. Length is not the goal. The intent is to begin to “fill our minds and meditate on these things.”
