The Fear of Anxiety & Fear Itself
Philippians 4:6-8 “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
So what is anxiety? It is a state of intense fear, apprehension, or unease that can manifest in various ways, both physically and emotionally.
Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or is a threat.
Now both of these God-given emotions are necessary. Can you imagine if you truly had no fear? No fear to jump off of a cliff or to drive as fast as possible in traffic… see how that could cause a problem! On the other hand, having too much fear, like never going hiking (if it is something that you love), or driving way too slow or not driving at all, could pose a problem. Fear can be used for good, like if you encounter a bear, you need that fear to drive you to safety. Fear of touching the stove when it is hot can save you from being hurt. God gave us that type of fear to protect us. It is necessary. But what about the other kind of fear that God tells us many, many times in the Bible not to have. Don’t be afraid, God has not given the spirit of fear, fear not…. This kind of fear can hold us back and is not good for us. This type of fear, the enemy can use to make us non-effective for Christ.
What do we do with this fear and the anxieties that can so easily take over our lives? I believe the first step is finding out WHY you have that fear/anxiety.
Why? Why am I fearful and anxious? This is going to cause some deep detective work for you. What are you so fearful/anxious about…?
Here’s a real life example from my own life. I used to have intense anxiety around pastors. Umm, yes you read that correctly pastors. You know the “Man of God” that preaches on Sundays. It is not like having a fear of spiders or frogs (yep, I have a deathly fear of frogs…) Anyway, so here is the question to dig deeper. WHY did I have anxiety around pastors? Well, I was spiritually and emotionally abused by one for about 5 years. During that time in my life, he almost ruined me. My marriage and family was falling apart because of him. One day, I almost took my life. Thank GOD He revealed to me that I was NOT the problem and that the pastor was. God sent me on a journey of research that taught me that I had encountered a narcissistic psychopath. Yep, a real life psychopath. At first I thought I was just dealing with a narcissist, but as time went on more of the truth was revealed of what he really was. So, I say all of that to say, the reason I had anxiety towards pastors was because of that experience.
God has done so much in my life since that time many years ago. I am no longer afraid of pastors!! YAY! Which means that I am in church and am actually very thankful for the pastor that I have now. He truly is a man of God. There are other pastors in our church too and they are all great! If you have ever seen Home Alone and Kevin is saying, “I’m not afraid anymore, did you hear me, I’m not afraid anymore...”, then he sees the neighbor who scares him and he screams like crazy and runs back in the house! I truly am not afraid of pastors anymore. Because of what I have been through, I know what to look for if something feels off about a pastor or just a person in general. The RED FLAGS are real and we should pay attention to them and not dismiss them. If I only knew then what I know now! Thank God for what He has taught me and shown me. I am so grateful that the Lord brought me and my family through that very difficult time.
Once you have identified the WHY- Take this to God. Pray. Philippians 4:6 “do not be anxious, but in everything by prayer…” PRAY through the anxiety and be patient with yourself! This does not happen overnight. Take it to God in prayer and take it again and again. Let Him help you through the feelings and fears. You cannot heal from you cannot admit and see. Allow the Lord to reveal to you where your fears and anxieties are coming from. You do not have to navigate this alone. Let God help you. Ask a trusted friend or family member to help you through this. If you are anxious or afraid, there’s a reason. It is helpful to ask the Lord to reveal to you the WHY and begin to work through that.
Lastly, do not try to gather all of your bad experiences with what you have fear and anxiety over in one big lump. Just because I had a bad pastor in my life doesn’t mean they are all bad. Just because you had some bad experiences with… (fill in the blank), doesn’t mean that you can never grow or change in that area. We can overcome anything with God’s help. Maybe it was a bad marriage that ended, there are good people out there and you can find love again in a healthy way. Maybe it was a bad church experience or a bad job. There are good churches and good jobs out there. The point is that you have to open your heart again and allow God to work. You will be amazed at what He can do. I encourage you to step out in faith and allow God to bring you to the place where you can overcome these fears and anxieties. He doesn’t want you to get stuck in the pain or fear. God wants to bring you to a good place. You can truly be happy again, you can overcome these difficult things, and you can start today.
