The Trap of Fear

Many people today do not realize the power of fear over their own lives.  We have people who fear just about everything spiders, germs, the end of the world, different religions, different ideas, being alone, being in a crowd, fear of losing self if they throw away a piece of paper, the list is really endless.  While serving as a minister over the years, I encountered many individuals who were literally held captive by fear.  These people struggled everyday to cope with what they imagined might happen to them.  One particular individual had a panic attack while driving one of the freeways in a very large city.  Feeling as though her heart was about to stop, she was paralyzed.  She found herself gasping for air.  She grabbed her chest and prepared to die.   The incident only lasted for a few seconds but would continue to occur each time she drove on the freeway.  Gradually, like Pavlov's dog experiment, she allowed the fear to prohibit her ever getting on a freeway.  She limited her driving to frontage roads or highways until she had an attack on a highway near her home.  All of the fear returned with a vengeance and it occurred again and again. She responded as one conditioned and ceased driving on any roads outside of her neighborhood..  She could not cross the one large street to visit her own daughter. This is how fear begins.  It slowly wraps its tentacles like a vine around the spirit and mind of man until it has the person under its power.  If we do not stand against it and recognize it for what it is, we will allow it to destroy our very lives.

Fear wears many faces.  Today we see it manifested in the hearts of man as they fear a neighbor or neighborhood because the people who live there do not look like them or believe exactly as they do.  We see it in racism and violence toward others.  Fear is the root of anger and hatred.  When Jesus walked upon the earth, the organized religion of that time feared losing control over the people.  This fear turned to hatred and rage.  It caused them to crucify the Son of God.  Fear of things getting out of hand makes people act in violent ways.  In a society in which people are urged to fear their fellow man, the only outcome will be hatred and ultimately violence.  This is the reason that we must deal with fear face on otherwise it will slowly consume us and one day we will look into the mirror and not recognize the person looking back. 

Jesus spent a great deal of time talking about fear.  He knew how devastating it was.  He knew that its very presence  would challenge faith.  Fear and faith cannot cohabit.  Fear wants to paralyze while faith sets us free.  Fear seeks to destroy while faith seeks to build up.  In the Bible, the words "Fear Not" appear over 300 times.  I heard one minister say that there was at least one " fear not" for each day of the week.  Jesus knew that fear had to be rooted out of individuals lives.  He told us over and over to "Believe on Him".  I instructed the lady I spoke about earlier to write some scriptures on post it notes and put them on the dashboard and on her bathroom mirror.  I encouraged her to learn such verses as "Perfect love casts out all fear." Or God has not given me a spirit of fear but of power, of love and of a strong mind."  I encouraged her to read these verses over and over and when she got into her car to immediately quote them if she started to panic.  One day she came to church just beaming, " Pastor, " she said, "Guess what I did"  I replied, "Tell me."  "I drove to see my daughter yesterday and I was not afraid."  It was hard for me to hold back the tears because I knew what an accomplishment it was for her.  My heart filled with joy over the power of God's word even in the weakest life.  Do not give way to fear.  "I will not fear."  And that my friend is the Real Truth.