Fear can be a good thing. It alerts us to danger. It kicks our bodies and minds into defense mode when we need it most. It is a primal instinct that continues to serve important roles for us today.
Fear can also paralyze us. Fear casts doubt and uncertainty into our hearts and minds. When you fear something or someone, it can feel like a 10-pound cinder block is resting on your chest.
There are four kinds of fear that cause us problems, according to Paul David Trip, a Presbyterian pastor and teacher. There is the fear of ourselves (once we come to learn our weaknesses and tendencies), the fear of others (those whom we are convinced are a genuine threat to our well-being), the fear of circumstances (What if this happens? What if that happens?), and the fear of the future (What does tomorrow hold for me? For my family?).
There are probably more categories of things we fear, but this is a solid start, if you ask me. I am particularly vulnerable to fear of the future. I want to know where my ship is heading. I feel a need to know if I am on a short trip or a long one, if we are making stops along the way, and what is our port of destination.
Faith, I know with my mind, is the ability to trust that God is guiding the ship where He wants it to go. Faith is a gift that allows us to enjoy the voyage. There is work to do on this trip. There are people to meet. There are challenges ahead. But through it all, faith allows us to trust that the vessel is heading in the right direction and that the ship ain't going down.
I am good at recognizing little tidbits and truths like this in my mind, but allowing it to take deep root in my heart is another story. I am a sinner like anybody else and I have a lot of fears that will crush me if I let them.
Tripp says the antidote for fear is fear itself. When we embrace the fear of God (understood more as an awe of God), the small things in life that we fear are put in their proper place.
Do you agree with these four categories of fear? Can you think of others? Read 1 John 4:8 and learn how fear is also overcome.
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