Finish with the fear!

I want to paint a picture for you:

Twenty-five year old female stands five-foot-six and tackles the world every day in dress slacks and a pair of four-inch heels. There's the planes, trains, taxis, and rented automobiles, the always pesky airport security, lost luggage, and a team full of people to coordinate. Lest we forget e-mail, snail mail, text message, and a habitually low phone battery. It would appear as though nothing can slow slow her down, right?

Except that spider, who is the size of a dime and her own backyard after dark, because after all, an ax-murderer could be lurking in the shadows and intend to inflict a slow and unusual death upon her as she innocently disposes of the trash on Monday evenings. Legitimate concern, right?

Fear is an interesting concept. It plagues immeasurable amounts of people, but often has no validity. One of my very good friends uses an acronym to describe fear: false evidence appearing real. I've often seen self-help slogans proclaiming, "Fear is a liar," and "On the other side of fear lies freedom." I don't disagree, but with all of these adamant declarations and soothing techniques aimed at vanquishing fear, why are so many people still afraid?

Let's go back to that newly painted picture of yours truly. Admittedly, I'm afraid of spiders and ax-murderers...and drowning, and needles, and snakes, and strangers, and awkward social situations, and dark quiet places, but why? Do fears have any reasonable function or foundation?

For grins and giggles, let's use the words, "function" and "purpose" interchangeably for a moment. Does fear have a purpose? When I posed this question to myself, I automatically thought of the body's fight-or-flight mechanism. In this process, our mind perceives a threat and our body automatically responds by releasing stress hormones, increasing our heart rate, and speeding up our breathing. Essentially, our body prepares for battle. Fear could, and probably would, illicit this fight-or-flight response, which would certainly be beneficial in the event of an actual threat; however, the brain can actually respond with the fight-or-flight process without actually being in any sort of danger. Basically, what we perceive as danger isn't always so.

Let's move on to phase two of this equation. Does fear have any real foundation? If Little Suzie or Cousin Joe had been mauled by a bear, was laid up in a hospital for weeks, and escaped with only one leg and a few fingers, chances are, most people would agree they would have a reasonable cause  (or foundation) for fear and intimidation. I would agree, but that doesn't free Suzie or Joe from any of the crippling effects of fear. The bear may have stolen their legs and fingers, but fear could potentially steal a lifetime of adventures from them if they were too afraid to step outside again.

Also important to consider is that fear (or lack thereof) has no bearing on actual danger. Earlier, we established our ability to distinguish between actual and assumed threats is sometimes skewed. On the contrary, consider those bozos on television that play with boa constrictors and wear rattle snakes around their necks like costume jewelry. They claim they're not afraid, and they certainly don't act the part, but that doesn't make handling deadly snakes any less dangerous. Their perception is skewed.

Fear distorts perception and reality. Fear limits, confines, suffocates, and destroys. Why do we continue to allow ourselves to be help captive by such fantasies? Isn't true that we're often confined by the walls we build ourselves?

"Fear isn't a fantasy, Lindsay. You have no idea how scary ________ (fill in the blank) is!"  You're right, maybe I don't, but I do very well know what it is to be totally afraid, and I'm saying there is a better alternative. The bottom line is life is scary. Sometimes it's even one big giant mess, but there is a more peaceful, happy, able-to-live-life-again solution. We just have to want it. You and I, we have to want to be free from that which binds us up. And after the wanting, we have to seek it out with everything we have. We have to refuse to give up, give in, or quit.

So here's to you, and here's to me. Here's to happier days, more restful nights, and a life free from fear. It's out there, and it's ours for the taking.

Isaiah 41:10: Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Philippians 4:6-7: Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.