You just checked your phone. 11 missed calls, and a single text message that says, “We need to Talk.”
This is fear.
Times are tough and the pandemic has changed reality for all of us, the future is becoming more uncertain. We do not know what is about to change when uncle Cyril is expected to address the nation at 20:00, but only appears at 20:30, just to keep everything unexpected.
Fear is a response from your brain, your amygdala to be exact, that causes you to take action. How that action looks, depends on the circumstance, most of the time.
Your amygdala produces fear to steer you away from danger, but your amygdala is bad at interpreting the context of that situation (so it is not always good to act with your amygdala)
Fear is what causes us to enter “survival mode”. It is bad when it keeps you from learning, but good when it keeps you from life threatening danger.
The moment you want to extend beyond your comfort zone, fear steps in to keep you there. You don’t know what is going to happen, everyone is going to know, this is new, and it looks difficult.
These are the four things that trigger fear:
Uncertainty (“I don't know”)
Attention (“Everyone knows”)
Change (“This is new”)
Struggle (“It looks difficult”)
Whenever you experience these four things it will produce fear which will give you the strong urge to avoid the situation or circumstance.
There was this guy that walked the earth a few years ago, like thousands of years, and He died on a wooden cross that you would not fear anymore.
He is the word, and this is what He has to say about the human emotion of fear.
According to Scripture, we should only fear one thing.
God.
But this is a holy fear.
This is a fear that is generated by certainty, humility, and relationship with God. (Proverbs 1:7)
Let God take care of your fears.
They are more scared of Him than you are of them.
This is what He says in his word about fear.
Don’t worry about your life, I got you fam! (Matthew 6:25-34)
He is telling his disciples that they do not need to worry about earthly things, but instead worry about the kingdom of God first. Your focus should be godly not worldly.
Only do it for me! (Colossians 3:23-24)
Everything that you are doing should be done unto God and not onto men, your focus in everything you are doing should always but always be God first above everything else.
I will be your Uber. (Joshua 1:9)
God is there with you. Whether you are beginning a new job, moving to a new place, or taking on a new challenge. Rest assured that God will always be there with you.
I will take that piece of struggle, thank you very much. (Matthew 11:28-30)
Just give all your struggles to God. You do not need to carry them with you because God says His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
Pray. (Philippians 4:6-7)
This is the absolute best thing that you can do in every situation. Paul is urging you to a life of non-stop praying.
The opposite of fear is trust.
Trusting that God is faithful, that he is bigger than anything that threatens us.
And you know what we call trusting God that He’ll crush our fears?
Faith.
Don’t allow fear to keep you from living the life that God called you to, even from getting to know Him more. Learn to trust His word and promises. Have faith in God.
Even though life, “we need to talk” messages, and even Uncle Cyril can be scary.
But fear God, trust God and have faith in God.
Let Him silence your fears.