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OVERCOMING ANXIETY AND FEAR
Updated: Nov 26, 2020
Today’s Message of Encouragement from Discovering A BETTER LIFE MINISTRIES
(Stories of Real People, Real Events, Real Places)
They are dedicated to providing Spiritual FOOD FOR THOUGHT
To HELP Men and Women Find PEACE and HOPE
(John 10:10)
(Ron Bainbridge, Editor)
(November 25th, 2020)
OVERCOMING ANXIETY AND FEAR
Friends, it seems like in this day and age, futurology is a favourite pastime. Some of our expert sociologists are looking into the crystal ball and forecasting good news: Female life expectancy in Australia will increase; medical science offers the hope of COVID-19 Anti-Virus, a cure for cancer and heart disease; and population growth in Australia appears to be under control.
However, others gaze into the future and make us anxious: The Australian population is growing older. This is good news, but there will be fewer wage earners supporting more elderly people. And many are asking, “Will we exhaust the resources for taking care of those who retire?”
On the other hand, there is a realistic fear which is not unhealthy. It is based on common sense, in which we look for safeguards to protect us from danger. – However, the kind of fear each of us need to overcome, is the fear that paralyzes or harms us, the fear that diminishes our effectiveness, or keeps us from living a full life.
One recent study indicates that 40 percent of what the average person fears never happens. Another 30 percent deals with old decisions which cannot be changed! It also indicated that 12 percent of fears relates to other people’s criticism. -- This criticism is probably untrue and does not matter. Ten percent of our fears, this study concludes, are related to our health and these fears are self-defeating.
Well friend, if this study is accurate, only 8 percent of the average person’s fears actually relate to a true problem. Even then, fear makes us less capable of dealing with the real problem.
Friend, when Jesus saw the faces of people who worried about jobs, adequate clothing, and many of the things we tend to worry about. He said, “Don’t be anxious…” (Matthew 6:25).
If we could only grasp the faith Jesus had in His/Our Father in Heaven who cares even for sparrows and lilies in the field, we would not be so anxious.
Yet there is another side to the story. People in our world lose their jobs, their health, and their loved ones. And in regard to this, almost two thousand years ago, Jesus told His disciples, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows” (John 16:33). So as far as the pressures and inevitable struggles each of us experience in this world. That’s simply what it means to be alive!
Friends, the Bible assures us that Jesus was human. It records that in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus experienced a difficult night because He knew what lay ahead. In His prayer, which we find recorded in Matthew 26:39, Jesus prayed: “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me,” In saying these words, Jesus reveals to us His terrible suffering.
Then, in the book of Hebrews, chapter 5, verse 7, we read where it is said of Jesus: “That while He was here on earth He pleaded with God, praying with tears and agony of soul to the only one who would save Him from (premature) death. And God heard His prayers because of His strong desire to obey God at all times.” -- Those words reveal to us that Jesus found no pleasure in suffering and dying, but that He chose to endure pain and humiliation in order to obey His Father.
In a sense, it helps each of us to know that Jesus had moments of fear. His followers also know what it means to be afraid of bad health and death. But we are never alone in our fears. And we can draw comfort in the knowledge that He knows!
Friend, although Jesus knew fear, He did not allow it to destroy Him. He feared His own death, but He did not run away from it. In fact, Jesus faced His captors with the strength He received from God, immediately after His frightened moments in Gethsemane.
Some time ago, a minister told of a funeral he conducted for a man who had taken his own life. In a note left to his family, the man explained that he had discovered a painful lump in his side a few days before. Both of his parents had died of cancer. In his note he wrote, “I am taking the easy way out.” The tragedy is that he took this extreme action without even consulting a doctor. When the result of the autopsy was made known, the lump was found to be benign. -- If only he had not run away from the problem!
Friend, there is no doubt that it helps to admit our fears to others. Indeed, those closest to us have their own fears, so they can provide help as we work through our anxieties. Sometimes we can find great support in a group where several people work through their fears together. Just imagine how many other parents are anxious over their responsibilities to their children. Imagine how many other people are concerned about their health.
Fears can cripple us if we remain alone. But we can cope, if we are willing to share our anxieties with others. It is true that fear is one of the greatest enemies of the happy, successful life. But we do not have to be defeated by fear.
Perhaps you’re asking is there any way to avoid fear, to conquer it? Well, the answer is yes!
Friend, if you would like us to send you a booklet explaining “How to Overcome Fear,” we’d be pleased to do so. To receive your complimentary copy, just write to Discovering A BETTER LIFE, P.O. Box 1540, Albany, Western Australia 6331 and ask for: “How to Overcome Fear."
Phone us on: (08) 98 418 418 Or Email us at: abl-alb@omninet.net.au
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