Friday, March 8, 2013

What Are You Scared Of

Fear is a multi-faceted thing. There are many types and levels of fear and it can negatively impact everyone's daily lives.

The most common type of fear is the dictionary version : To be afraid or apprehensive.
Some common fears:

  • Spiders
  • Snakes
  • Water
  • Flying
  • Heights
The reason for each of these fears is fairly straight forward, they can all kill you or harm you very badly and some of them can hide easy. Spiders and snakes can be anywhere and I am sure we have all moved a box only spiders scurry away or see a snake go into a strike pose because we moved his house and scared him.

Another type of fear that impacts almost everyone at one point or another is fear of the unknown. This can reveal itself in a variety of forms:

  • Stress- If you are struggling financially and not sure how you are going to pay the bills. This is fear because you know what is going to happen if you don't pay the light, water,or gas bill. The unknown part of this is where the money is going to come from and the fear that the money is not going to be available when it is necessary. 
  • Sickness and Pain - Pain causes fear. We do not know what the cause is or if we know we tend to automatically assume the worst. Stress can even cause physical pain if not controlled. Which can result in a cruel, never-ending cycle. "What are we gonna do, we don't have any options in this situation">Fear and stress regarding the outcome > Sudden onset of pain (anxiety) > Fear and stress of situation + pain means more stress
Fear causes a disconnect from us and God, as well as negatively impacts our relationships with other people. We become so focused on the fear, stress, or pain that we lose our patience with others, we find ourselves putting our focus on the situation and a resolution and not on the will of God.

We need to learn in these circumstances to focus on God and while we are suffering either physically or mentally we must put that on God too. He has power to resolve our problems, physical or any other, we just have to believe. We must also strive to deal with our sufferings without taking it out on those in our lives. They are in our lives because they care about us and taking our personal struggles out on them is not fair to them and can also cause a division between us and God. God makes it clear how we should treat each other and failure to do so causes us to stray away from His will.

We should strive to overcome any fears in our lives no matter how large or small they are.

Some scriptures on fear, peace, and love:

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

Deuteronomy 13:4 Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him.

John 14:27 I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

Psalms 91:4-8 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.

Romans 8:38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.

Ephesians 4:29-32 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

1 Corinthians 13:4-13 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. ...

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