Facing Your Fears

FACING YOUR FEARS

Dr. Jerome Frank, a professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University was flying across the US a few years ago. This was before all of the modern security measures were installed at the nation's airports. He sat beside a man on a coast-to-coast flight who said, "You know, I used to be deathly afraid of flying. It all started after that man brought a bomb on board a flight to Denver to kill his mother-in-law. I could never get it out of my mind that someone on board one of my flights might also be carrying a bomb." Dr. Frank asked, "Well, how did you deal with that problem?" He replied, "Well, I went to one of those special schools for people who are afraid of flying and they told me there was only one chance in 10 thousand that someone would bring a bomb on board my flight. That didn't make me feel much better. The odds were still too close. But then I reasoned that if there was only one chance in 10 thousand that one bomb would be on the plane, there was only one chance in 100 million that two bombs would be on board. And I could live with those odds." So Dr. Frank asked, "But what good would that do you?" He replied, "Ever since then, I carry one bomb on board myself -- just to improve the odds." It is amazing what people will do because of fear. For many fear rules their life.

There used to be a show I would watch called “Fear Factor.” Six contestants face their worse fears for a chance to win 50,000 dollars. While I admire them for facing their fears it is a shame it took the chance to win money to get them to do it. Our incentive for facing fears is not the chance of wealth but the reality that often it is fear that keeps us from being and doing what God wants for us. Because we seek to please Jesus we must be willing to do whatever it takes to deal with the fears in our lives and then get on with living with purpose for Christ.

1 Sam 17:37 The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you." 38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. "I cannot go in these," he said to Saul, "because I am not used to them." So he took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. 41 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42 He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. 43 He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 "Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!" 45 David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands." 48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. 50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.