Overcoming Fear
Do you really have the faith that you think?
We have learned that our thoughts really do drive our
physiology. Worry, anxiety and fear trigger the adrenal glands to
secrete cortisol. Which in turn suppresses aspects of the immune system
resulting in inflammation. This is one of the basic mechanisms that
causes in allergies and a myriad of other health concerns.
Years ago a friend gave me a book, which boasted of revealing
the "secret" to what we want. And of course, the secret to happiness
put forth by "the secret" would be found in the ultimate acquisition of
wealth, popularity, power and material things. In a nutshell, you simply
had to become mentally, emotionally obsessed with your goal and
by-and-by you would achieve it, because thoughts drive actions and
actions get results.
Sadly, many have found that once they arrive at the top of
the ladder (the goal), far too often they discover their ladder was
leaning against the wrong wall. The wall of myopic selfishness, it turns
out is not the wall of happiness - even with all of the cool stuff and
fun times you've accumulated along the way.
Those
of us who profess a Christian life, sadly are sucked into this false
paradigm as this message of "me, me, me" is carefully cloaked and
reinforced with biblical verse and catchy philosophical slogans. The
philosophies of men mingled with scripture or catchy phrases is that
very anthem that lures us to climb the wrong ladder - that ladder of
self-aggrandizement which eventually leads away from God rather than
towards Him.
So I guess,
to continue this discussion, we must establish a few common
understandings. Namely, a belief in God. That He loves and cares for us.
That He is mindful of us and that He desires us to be happy and
healthy. Also we must believe that His revealed word through the
scriptures are true and accurate.
I
believe that if we enjoyed good health, had plenty of money, lots of
leisure time and are surrounded by likeminded friends, then there would
be no need of a god. I believe that our ill health and dismal
circumstances are tools that are used by loving heavenly parents to
guide us back to them.
Early
psychologists have taught us that we are intuitively taught to avoid
pain and are drawn to pleasure. When we train a dog, or a child for that
matter, we allow them to experience consequences. The consequences of
doing right is rewarded. And for doing wrong, we earn pain or
punishment. One of the great blessings and distinctions of man over the
animals is that we have agency or a free will. We can choose our course
of action. But in the choosing, we do not have control of the
consequences. If I choose to step off the roof of my house, I cannot
change my mind as I see the consequence of gravity propelling me to the
earth.
An
infant is born with only two fears, the fear of falling and the fear of
loud noises. All other fears are developed or acquired based on our
experiences. As we grow and mature, we develop superficial fears (how am
I going to pay all of these bills) and deeper fears (which come from a
breach in relationships and broken heart - fear of man, fear of failure,
abandonment, rejection, being vulnerable, etc.).
Like
you, I know people who seem to be addicted to worry and anxiety. If
they don't have something to worry about of their own, they will gladly
worry for you about your problems. Understand that worry, fear and
anxiety are all tools that the adversary uses to distract you away from
God and your divine purpose here in life. If the devil can keep you
mentally busy with worry then what you can accomplish for God will be
lessened. An acronym for BUSY is Burdened Under Satan's Yoke. God does
not ask us to serve Him because he needs our help. He asks us to serve
Him because it is for our own good. As we walk in obedience to God
(namely following the spiritual prompting that come into our heart and
mind), He intends our life to be one of quality, happiness and health.
If
you are not experiencing this (happiness and health), then listen up
and consider the possibility that you may need to make some changes. If
you truly want to get well, you've got to let go of the things that are
causing fear, worry, anxiety and stress in your life. You have got to
learn to trust God with absolutely confidence and get into the habit of
casting your cares on Him. In Peter 5:7 it says (paraphrased) "Cast ALL
of your cares - all of your anxieties, all of your worries, all your
concerns, once and for all - on Him; For he really does care about you."
God does not promise that you won't have problems in life, but he does
promise to faithfully take care of you and deliver you out of every
difficult circumstance.
So
here's the deal. It is not Gods will or design that we worry, are
fearful and anxious. If we cast these burdens then He has them and it is
our job to listen to and follow the spiritual prompting he gives to us
on how to conduct our life as it relates to the challenges we get.
Try this exercise: Write down on a piece of paper all the issues, people and problems in your life that you are stressed, fearful or anxious about. Then go to God in prayer and say something like this: "Heavenly
Father, I have this and this problem (it's okay to read your list to
Him) - I hand these over to you and completely surrender it to You, and
ask you to take care of it and sort it out. If there is a part that I
have to play, please show me. I do not know how You are going to sort it
out but I am making the decision to confidently trust in, lean on and
rely on You with all my heart and mind. I am not going to rely on my own
insight or understanding (Proverbs 3:5) I give these problems to You
once and for all. I thank you that I don't have to be anxious or worry
about them anymore - It's in Your hands." Then scrunch
that paper up and throw it in the fire, in the lake or what ever would
symbolize to you casting your cares to the Lord. That's it. You no
longer need to worry, fear or be anxious about those problems. You just
need to follow those promptings that he will send to you will fix your
situations. Pray and learn to hear his voice & promptly obey.
Now
seriously, the problems have not gone away. And soon enough the fear,
worry or anxiety will confront you, however, you must stick to your
resolve and say in your mind - "Yes, I had that problem, but the Lord
has it now. Thank you Lord for taking care of it for me." This will take
repeated persistence on your part, but treat it seriously and stick
with it. Many of us have many years of neurological thought patterns to
correct.
Now here is
where faith comes in. Faith and fear (worry & anxiety) are opposing
spiritual forces. Fear (anxiety & worry) really are lack of faith.
When you give your problems to the Lord, you must say in your heart, in
your mind and even stomp your foot and say aloud "I choose FAITH!" You
are in the process of retraining your mind and your brain, to no longer
dwell on the negative and to draw upon God and your faith and trust that
He truly is mindful of you and your needs. Gods understanding really is
greater than yours.
God
is in charge, not you. This mean solutions and problems resolve in the
Lords way and on his timetable. Be patient, understanding. Giving the
Lord ultimatums and deadlines just further demonstrates your lack of
faith and spiritual immaturity. God is in the process of teaching and
training you. Be a humble and meek student of the Lord. Have faith and
confidence and trust in the Lord with all your heart. This can be
terribly difficult, but gets easier as you persist in your efforts to
let go of fear and have faith and trust in God.
And
here is the heart of the matter. It really is a matter of faith.
Develop the faith and the trust and the confidence in God that He is
real and that his words and teachings are true. Christ taught that the
birds and the flowers are cared for and their needs are met, and we
being children of God are much more valuable in His sight. We must
strive to develop faith that things will work out. We truly need not
worry, fret or fear. But trust that when we turn our lives over to God,
that He can make more of our lives than we can on our own. More peace,
more comfort, more happiness, more health - truly an abundant life.
Abundant in what matters most, not cluttered with the cares and
materialism of the world.
Settle
it in your heart once and for all that God will never leave you or
forsake you. He will not leave you helpless and hopeless in your
problems. Work you must, but you need to work for God. God's work is in
blessing the lives of others in the unique and distinct way that only
you can. By putting God first, you become and instrument for good in His
hands and by so doing your life will be blessed. If you have tried
"everything else" and still struggle, perhaps it is time to give God a
chance.
Blessings, Dr. Kyle Christensen
Much of this information is from Dr. Michelle Strydom's book: Healing begins with Sanctification of the Heart. She is a medical doctor in Zimbabwe and offers it as a free download, which I highly recommend.
Interested? Click on this image for a free download of this book.
Interested? Click on this image for a free download of this book.
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