What is YOUR Fear?

The encyclopedia tells us fear is a distressing emotion aroused by a perceived threat. I have heard people say they are not afraid of anything or anyone. I find this hard to believe. This emotion can cause one to become totally paralyzed or not be able to speak. I would imagine soldiers in combat face this fear minute by minute their lives changed forever by what they see. No wonder they come home a different person we don't understand or cannot communicate with.

Mankind is afraid of something. There are many things that cause fear. I never thought I was afraid of being in a closed in space until my husband was rushed to the hospital with a heart attack. I had to follow in the car and arrived later at the front of the hospital. The gentleman at the front desk was kind enough to allow me to follow him to the area in which my husband would be in. The walls had no windows at all and the aisle was very tightly spaced. After I walked for a brief time my body decided it did not like the narrow dark hallway and my breathing became hindered. I felt as if my lungs were closed and I could get no air inside. I headed for the first opening as fast as my feet could carry me. This was my first experience of being afraid of a closed in space or what is called claustrophobia.

Some people are afraid of high places. I don't relish the thought of going up high but I never thought I was afraid of heights until my daughter decided we needed to go up on the roof to sunbathe. I was fine going up but when I looked down, I became frozen with fear and could not force me feet to come down the ladder. I will never forget the look on the firemen's faces when they came to rescue me from my roof top. Such fears are remembered quite well.

I never thought too much about the fear of water until a current at the beach swept me out and I could not get back to the shore. Had it not been for the handsome lifeguard on duty I may have ended up near the everglades.  So as we go through life we find out there are many things we are afraid of. Some are minor and some are not so minor. All are frightening to a degree.

Babies are afraid to go to a stranger and will cling to the mother for safely even as an infant. Children are often afraid to sleep by themselves at night and none of these things are taught to them. A mother's love can erase so many fears of a child. Certain fears are instilled at birth to keep us safe. My son was to sing a solo at church on Sunday and practiced for weeks. When it came time to sing that day, he could not say a word. He was petrified with a fear of something.

All the reassurance in the world could not make him sing that day.

Then there are things we cannot see or explain that cause us to be afraid. Things in the paranormal cause us to be anxious. We can't understand the spiritual things so be tend to shy away from ghosts and such.

People are afraid to die. Death is a real fear to many people. My doctor told me that he had stood beside many dying patients in his life time. Those who were rooted and grounded in the biblical principalities of life after death passed away much easier and quicker while those who did not believe in any sort of religion died a horrific death.

Everyone is afraid of something. Maybe you just have not wandered across it just yet but you will in time.

If it is not spiders and snakes that bite you, it might be some other phobia. The point is this. If there is someone bigger than yourself who can protect you from fear, you can be an over comer.  Just as everyone is afraid of something, so does everyone believe in something or someone? Mankind has to learn to trust beginning as an infant. This is why parents hold out their hands to convince a child to walk. The child sees the hands of protection and trust they will catch him before he falls.  So from one ole timer to another, put your trust in Jesus. You couldn't be in better hands.