I don’t care who you are or what front you put up for the world to see, I know something about you ………because it is true of everyone.
SOMETIMES YOU ARE AFRAID!
Everyone experiences fear. It may be a fear of failure or a fear of loneliness. It may be a fear of pain or sickness or death. The world is cloaked with fear … the pandemic may have made it worse but it is not anything new.
It is not a weakness to be afraid. It is what you do when you are afraid that matters. You can hide and pretend. You can close yourself off from people. You can try to face it in your own strength but that is difficult. So how can you conquer your fears, whatever they may be?
I know that the ways to fight fear are as varied as the fears themselves, but I am convinced that there is only one healthy way to fight back. That is with the truth.
Often, when you look at a fear face-on, you will find it to be way out of proportion. Sometimes thinking of the worst possible outcome can help, at least with little fears. For instance, I remember once I was afraid of approaching someone lest I be rejected. But when I reasoned it out, not approaching the person was accepting rejection anyway, so I really would not be any worse off if I was rebuffed, than if I did not try. So for little fears it may help to ask yourself, ” What is the worst that could happen?”
But what about BIG fears? Pain and sorrow do come to all of us. Ahhhhh ……but there is a balm in Gilead! Do you know that saying? Have you ever heard it? Gilead was a town on the eastern side of the Jordan River. Balm is a soothing substance to heal a wound.
To find the right “balm” for any problem or wound or fear, you need to consult the right physician. It is easy to find advice about a cure, but not so easy to find wise advise. That is where “truth” comes in. You need to go the the right physician with your fears. Go to the Great Physician. The creator of something understands that something better than anyone else. The Creator of YOU understands YOU better than anyone else, including yourself! God has a “balm” for your fears, whatever they may be.
As a human physician, I realize that there are medicines that do help with anxiety. They can get you through the day. I prescribe them, am grateful for them, and do not think it is wrong to make use of them. But for deeper healing, admit the problem and take it to God. When fear starts to take over, it is time to take action. Pray. Study and read God’s word…..for long periods. It will take time. King David was full of fear, and many of the psalms that he penned are a great place to get help. Ask God to reveal to you the underlying source of your problem. It is often hard to figure that out on your own, but God understands perfectly the source of every problem.
And remember, regardless of how people act, you are not alone in your fears. We have all been there. We are not all honest in admitting it, but life is scary. Any journey is much more frightful without a map and a plan. It is scary to be lost. So, when I am afraid, or lost, or out of control, I go to my God and am so thankful that, at least with Him, I can be honest. He is near, whether you sense Him or not, and He is willing to help. He is waiting for you to ask!
