Shackled by Fear

“Feed your faith and your fears will starve to death.”
— Unknown

  

     Have you ever been so scared that you couldn’t move? Growing up as a kid with a father for a sheriff and living in the same building as the jailhouse, well, we’ll just say that there were a few times when I had the begeebies scared out of me!

I remember a scary moment when I was about five or six years old that totally paralyzed me! I woke up from a sound sleep and saw a shadow of a man on the wall in front of me. He was looking through the window that was located directly above my bed. The brightly moonlit night well defined his grey silhouette.

I froze, could not move, could barely breath. I closed my eyes and opened them again, he was still there. I did this several times and then I slowly covered my head with the blankets in hopes that he would go away. I was so frightened, and I was trying to stay very still; my breathing became very shallow to the point that I thought that I might stop breathing! After what seemed to have been an eternity, I finally gathered up enough nerve to uncover my head and peer outside of the covers. To my relief, he was gone.

The next morning, I was still a bit shaken as I described to my parents what I had experienced. In their own way of trying to be protective, they told me that I had had a dream. I knew what I had seen, and I felt like they didn’t believe me.

I understand, now, that they didn’t want me to feel like I had been in danger and I think that was their way of calming my nerves. I don’t know this for sure, but I assumed that my dad probably went to check things out to see if he could verify my accountings, and I don’t know for sure that my imagination was running away with itself. Whether it was my imagination or not, I was frightened stiff!

No too long after that, my father walked me across the street from our home to the train station. Beside the station was a long and very tall wooden dock that was used for loading and unloading the cargo from the trains. (Hey, when you’re a kid, everything seems very tall.) Dad asked me to walk up the ramp to the top as he stood below. With his arms extended he asked me to jump. Jump into his arms. I was frozen. I couldn’t do it. He kept talking to me, urging me, assuring me that he would catch me. I was still frozen. I wanted to jump but I couldn’t move. Dad started to get a little annoyed.

Finally, after some firm coaxing, and before I broke out into tears, I jumped. He caught me. I don’t think he realized what that exercise did for me, or maybe he did. I overcame a fear and it felt good! It wasn’t overcoming the fear of jumping from a height that made the most impact, this exercise was instrumental in helping me towards the beginnings of overcoming some trust issues that were developing in my young self.

Fear. There is a reason we have the feeling of fear built into our beings. Our healthy natural feeling of fear is there to protects us. Fear tells us to not put our hands intentionally into a viper’s den. We know not to touch a hot stove. We know what could happen if we get too close to the edge of a cliff. There is this gut feeling and inner voice that we follow that keeps us from falling prey to danger. This is a good fear to have!

By not using our healthy fear wisely, we most likely will have to face some major consequences!

As a child I was a severe introvert. I know, right?!?!? No one would believe that today! But I was. I think most of us would agree that being an introvert can be very painful, and it is a learned behavior derived from fear. So many times, I have heard introverts say that God had made them that way, so that’s just the way they are. Personally, I know how painful it is, but I also think it gets used as an excuse to not deal with and conquer fears.

Let’s look at what scripture says. 2 Timothy 1:7 says “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

It took a bit of work, okay a lot of work, but I finally overcame being an introvert by the time I had reached early adulthood. I had to make myself do things that I was afraid to do or try. I had to push past the discomfort and break out of the shell.  I still struggle sometimes with the tendency to revert, but I overcome those thoughts by looking inward, finding my strength, forcing myself out of the comfort zone and then I move forward fearlessly! God has given me the power to do this!

In my book, “It Is What It Is…But It Wasn’t A Tragedy”, I write about fear and some of the people that I have known who lived their lives in a constant state of fear. Their fears usually had to do with their futures, the unknown things, things that could, might, maybe happen.  Their minds were consumed with fear of the unknown; the fear of losing their minds, their wealth, and the list of things that the Bible tells us not to worry about. And what I have found is that everything that they were so fearful of, came true!

So many times, we allow this unhealthy fear to enter our lives and take up residence. When we spend time with fear and living with its negative factors, we are not healthy! Most words associated with fear are negative words; distress, anxiety, worry, angst, panic, cold feet, and dread. Fear is the root of phobias which is the excessive fear of an object, place or situation. Most of us have some sort of a phobia. (I’m not talking about phobias that need a mental health professional.)

Fear changes metabolic and organ functions and changes behaviors like fleeing, hiding or freezing. Its cause and effect; we are not physically, mentally, or spiritually healthy when we live in a constant state of fear.

Fear of public speaking, fear of the unknown, fear of doing something new, fear of meeting people, fear of speaking up, fear of looking silly, fear of success, fear of failure, fear of making a bad decision so we don’t make one at all. The list can go on and on. Fear causes us to doubt ourselves and stick our head in the sand. Fear makes us feel trapped and it keeps us from growing, experiencing new things, and having the life that God wants us to have!

Satan loves fear and for a good reason. Fear is an emotion that can become a shackle if we let it. It feeds us full of lies, doubts, and uncertainties. It plays into our negative self-talk, making us believe that we can’t do something. Simply put, it robs us from having a full life. It also takes our focus away from God and all His goodness, and the assignments He has for us to do! 

God is much bigger than our fears, and even we are much bigger than our fears. As Christians, we do not realize the power that we have been given and the strength that we have been given to fight this menacing demon!

Even folks we read about in the Bible had to deal with fear. Moses was fearful about taking on God’s assignment and came up with all kinds of excuses. Jonah was fearful and ran miles away trying to get away from what God wanted him to do.

How have you reacted when God asked you to do something? Something that you feel you were unqualified to do or maybe it was out of your comfort zone to do and it felt a bit…scary? I know I tend to argue. Sometimes I put His request on the back burner, sticking my head in the sand. “But God?!?!”, I cry out.

When we are called by God, and by the way, all Christians are called by God, we are called be BOLD and He tells us not to be fearful! He gives us the work that He has qualified for us to do, (whether we understand it or not), and He will be with us the whole way, walking beside us, never leaving us, and He will give us what we need to do the assignment, with speech, persistence, boldness, tools, His Spirit, and He will provide everything that we need to be sustained.

God’s promises are all through the scriptures and they tell us of these things. All we must do is trust, believe, and take hold of the power that has been given to us by the Powerful Almighty God himself! We can be overcomers of fear!

Here is a short list of Scripture Promises to Help you on the journey of overcoming fear:

John 14:27 ²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Joshua 1:9 ⁹Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

Psalm 23:4 ⁴Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Psalm 34:4 ⁴I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”

Psalm 94:19 ¹⁹When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy”.

Romans 8:38-39 ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our LORD.”

1 Peter 5:6-7 ⁶Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

Psalm 118:6 ⁶The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

Deuteronomy 31:6 ⁶Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

Isaiah 41:10 ¹⁰So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Matthew 6:25-34 ²⁵Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? ²⁸"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you-you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

I have learned, and maybe age has something to do with it, but I choose to live a fearless life. It is a choice. I keep the full armor of God on in a state of preparedness, and I bow my knees in prayer when I feel fear knocking at my door.

When fear comes a calling, I speak out loudly and firmly, “Get behind me Satin, for I am a child of God and you will not win this one!” Then I shake if off and move on!

1 Corinthians 16:13 ¹³Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”

From the Lecture Series and book “Making Wise Choices…the most important life skill to master” and “It Is What It Is…But It Wasn’t A Tragedy”

By Author/Speaker Debra Lee