I have a fear of heights. Even walking on a pedestrian bridge makes me tense and my hands sweaty. When I was a child, I used to be afraid of the dark. Sleeping in my bedroom with the doors closed and in darkness was a problem to me. I was never a big fan of airplanes; however, after becoming a mother, flying became a challenge to me. Weeks prior to the flight, I have to set my mind around the fact that airplane crashes are not a common occurrence and I do not really have to fear because I am protected by God.
Anyways, have you ever experienced fear? Is there anything you are afraid of? I am sure there is! We all have things, situations, possibilities and outcomes that we fear. Once, I had an intense experience with fear. I am the type of person who wants to be informed. I want to know what is happening around the world. However, I started getting way too anxious about some events I noticed happening around the world.
And, unfortunately, the more anxious I was getting, the more that kind of news would show up on my news feed. And anxiety was slowly but surely turning into panic. Living in a state of fear is unbearable. Every noise, movement or news is reason to panic. You spend your days stuck with those feelings and your mind keeps obsessing over the same kind of thoughts. A life of uncertainty of what could happen in the near future.
I did not want to live that way. I was starting to get mentally exhausted, and it was getting physically painful. I knew God did not give me spirit of fear, but I was too absorbed in my own thoughts and my own pain to really meditate on this spiritual truth. As much as I was reading the Bible, I was not taking time to meditate on it. Bible truths that were an assurance to me, started to become just mental knowledge. And it became a painful cycle: the more panicked I became, the more I would feed off news that would increase my anxiety. The worst was that nothing seemed to be fun anymore; my mind had only one type of thought. This never ending cycle generated a never ending train of thought that the world would end the next minute. Until the day I decided to put an end to it; I was mentally exhausted.
First of all, I decided to shut down the source of all this noise. I uninstalled some apps from my phone, related to news and social media. The ones I left installed, I set a time limit on my phone, to limit the amount of time I could spend there daily. That way, I blocked the source of that unnecessary noise that was tormenting me. If the way to silence my mind was to refrain from reading most of the news, so be it! It was better to remain ignorant of some things than to know too much and to lose focus. That was a necessary measure to balance my soul and to filter what was truly important.
Second, now that the source of the noise was controlled, I had more space to work on the thoughts that were already in my mind. Therefore, I started to read the Bible more attentively, actively meditating on the Bible truths that seemed to be slipping away from me. Verses, such as those below, became a powerful source:
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. ”
2 Timothy 1:7 NIV
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:7 NIV
This peace and soundness of mind are not for the future; they are things that God has already given us! They are a reality in our lives; that should be our assurance and foundation. However, with all the uninvited noise caused by external sources, we may forget that the peace that we need was already conquered for us.
In the book of Joshua, chapter 8, God says to Joshua:
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful”.
Joshua 1:7-8 NIV
The same principle can be applied today. It is useless to expect to draw everlasting peace, courage and strength from ourselves. We can never be our own source, because we are limited beings. Our senses, mind and feelings can vary according to the circumstances, without the solid foundation of the Word of God.
I made a decision to not fear anymore. So, whenever I felt that urge to panic (for whatever reason! This panic is not even rational!), I would repeat to myself those Bible verses. Also, I would repeat to myself that God is my Father and that His plans for my life are good. That way, I would answer that fear with the Word of God. I was putting aside those irrational thoughts and holding strong to my position as firmly grounded in the Word.
Third, I started to have more consistent prayer moments with God. I am not talking about praying with the church members or with others. Those types of prayer are really important and necessary, but your personal time with God is essential too. That is the moment for you to recharge in His presence and to cast any anxiety and worries onto Him. You can also consecrate yourself and your family during those intimate prayer session.
They do not need to be long to be effective. Give the time you are willing to give, with undivided attention. Pray in tongues during those moments and be open to Him about the hardships you are facing. It is in His best interest to help you to succeed in life!
As I took those three steps at the same time, I started to notice this fear and those panic attacks decreasing. My mind started to become clearer and my thoughts got more organized. I was not so shaken anymore when reading about any incident happening around the world. And I made it my personal mission to pray for protection over the Church of Christ around the world. When you find your strength in God, you also become a warrior in His name.
There are many voices and things happening in the world. As Christians, we do not need to be caught up in the middle of any of that. We need to be established in the solid foundation of the Word of God and of our personal relationship with Him. He is the only one able to give us peace and joy in the midst of the unthinkable. More than ever, it is time for us to draw closer to Him and focus on our Christian life.