Feeding Fear
This summer, I sat enjoying the rhythm of the waves cresting on the beach, watching families play in the ocean waves. For me, there is nothing quite as relaxing as the beach. For years, as our boys grew up, we would vacation with my twin sister’s family in Ocean City, Maryland. Before the days of the Internet, we would look through paper rental books to choose the best three-bedroom condo that we could, based on the description and price. One bedroom for Steve and I, one bedroom for Theresa and John, and one bedroom for the four boys, along with using the sleeper sofa in the living room if possible. Our budget consisted of $100 per day for food and entertainment; that’s it. We saved all year to make this happen, and I would track our daily spending like an accountant. If we spent too much one day, we reduced our spending the next. A family grocery trip, picking out everyone’s favorite cereal and lunch food, enabled us to eat those meals in the condo, but for dinner, we went out to eat. Everyone had the opportunity to choose their favorite restaurant! We all ate well during vacation! However, I didn’t realize that in addition to feeding our boys some of their favorite treats, I also fed our youngest son FEAR that stayed with him long after the vacation was over.
Here is how a daily dose of fear was fed. Each day at the beach, my husband Steve would get his boogie board and float in the ocean. When relaxing in my beach chair, I looked out and noticed that Steve appeared to be sleeping and aimlessly drifting away from the shore. Seeing this, I would send Ryan, who was now a pre-teenager, to check on his dad. Of course, Steve wasn’t floating away and was fine. I thought little about these moments until Ryan mentioned it as an adult. I had unknowingly instilled a fear in him that something would happen to his dad. Truthfully, there were other times I did this, like saying, “Go help your day shovel snow, so he doesn’t have a heart attack.” I inadvertently began to pass fear to my son. I fed him fear.
Take a moment, think about your life, and ask yourself this question, “Am I feeding fear?” Whether it’s fear of failure or fear of death, or fear of the unknown, unhealthy fear keeps us imprisoned and does not allow us to experience God’s best for our lives.
My diet needed to change from those things that brought fear to something that encouraged faith, the Word of God.
When we SEEK God, He can deliver us from unhealthy fear if we apply His Word to our life.
Psalm 34:4–5 - “I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.”
Don’t believe the lie that God can’t be trusted. We may not always understand His ways, but His character is solid. There were many times I had to seek the Lord for assurance that I could trust Him. For me, it is a journey, and I am continually growing.
When we CONNECT to God, an exchange can take place.
He exchanges our fear for faith. He becomes the stronghold of our life rather than fear.
Psalm 27:1 -“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
Knowing that Jesus is a PRESENT HELP will remove fear off the menu!
Psalm 46:1–3 - “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains are moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”
I recently saw this Facebook post my friend Susanne Cox shared. Susanne writes herself notes to keep from feeding fear. Here is what she wrote,
“Whatever you decide to worry about – you’ll have to exchange that for fellowship with God. Renew your mind!”
Stop for a moment and consider this thought. God wants to fellowship with you, to do an exchange of sorts; your fear for His peace, but it is our responsibility to do the work of renewing our minds.
Nothing is added to your life by feeding fear, only taken away.
Matthew 6:27-28 - “And which of you, by being anxious, can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”
There are always things happening around us that will attempt to feed our fear, but we can choose what we eat. Choose wisely!
Liz
