Fear Factors

It has been said that FEAR has two meanings:
Forget
Everything
And
Run

or

Face
Everything
And
Rise

Ultimately, the choice is ours, right?

Tonight we discussed fears in our continuing church book study on If You Want To Walk On Water You've Got To Get Out Of The Boat by John Ortberg. The chapter was titled "Crying Out in Fear" and focused on when and why we cry out in fear like Peter did when he was walking on water, started to sink, and cried out, "Lord, save me!"

What makes you cry out in fear?

As our group shared what makes each of us afraid, heights immediately came to mind for me. I can go up, just can't look down. I can climb a tower but will cling to the railing and inch my way back down, sometimes taking the stairs on my backside. When I want to take pictures from a scenic overlook or high vantage point, you can bet I will stay as far away from the supposedly safe railing as possible. I guess it's technically a fear of falling. And I have it, along with plenty of other "irrational" fears that seem rational to me!

What causes our fears?

Are we afraid of people, places, possibilities because they are dangerous? Or because we don't know? That fear of the unknown? We've all got it. That fear of what might happen to our loved ones or to us, that fear of change, that fear of physical or emotional pain, that fear of, well, everything that is out of control. (Which by the way, is everything.) Those are the feelings that make us want to Forget Everything And Run.

But do you recall the complete story of Peter walking on water? Did you know the whole time he was walking, then sinking, then crying for help, that big storm was still raging? And Jesus was with him the whole time? It wasn't until after Jesus helped Peter back to the boat that the storm and winds ceased.

Yep. When we are staring our worst fears in the face, God is right there WITH us, trying to coax us, calm us, give us courage so we don't sink!

Have you ever overcome a fear? Do you think you did it on your own? Not to diminish your accomplishment, but no, you probably didn't. When we are able to Face Everything And Rise it is because we aren't facing it alone. Our fear has been replaced with faith.

How can we overcome our fears?

We came up with lots of suggestions but prayer and God were the number one solution. We also can turn to friends, loved ones and support groups for listening ears and encouragement. Sometimes we might have to turn to professionals – like my trips to the Witch Doctor when I had my anxiety attacks. There are also tons of resources in print, online and in person out there. Sometimes our greatest fear is just asking for help!

The bad news is that we will always have fears. They might be fewer and farther between, but we'll always have something that turns our knuckles white or gets our heart racing.

The good news is that we will never have to face those fears alone. From the choppiest waves to the highest tower, God is with us.

Between you and me, let's see if we can remember that.