Monday, May 09, 2005
Fear to Faith
Fear to Faith by AllAboutGOD.com
The PossibilitiesIs it possible to overcome fear? My answer is: "Yes, it is not only possible to overcome fear, but it is possible to conquer fear. How do I know that? Because I conquered debilitating fears that had become so strong that I considered suicide. That was 30 years ago! Today I am free from the grips of fear and I can fully embrace life. I can find peace no matter what each day brings.
Understanding Its Origin and Physical BenefitsIf we are to overcome fear we must understand that we are born with the tendency to fear. However, fear is also a learned behavior-we become what we are taught and what we absorb. We form a belief system derived from bits and pieces of our experiences and understanding. From the earliest moments of cognitive thinking, we begin to build the belief system that will later determine how we react to external stimuli. Irrational fear has its origin in biased conclusions we learn from family, friends, society, culture, and experiences. Fears such as the fear of flying, fear of heights, fear of the dark, fear of failure, fear of dying, and hundreds of others, are all acquired beliefs. Our ability to overcome fears and anxieties is not based in our ability to "face our fears," but rather our decision to replace every fear-based belief with a faith-based belief. The fact is that all of us can dramatically and profoundly change every aspect of our being by simply changing our minds, by simply choosing to believe the rational over the irrational.
When we overcome fear in our lives, there will be physical benefits. Every thought we have is a physical event in the body that affects every physiological and neurological component of our being. Negative thoughts affect the body in entirely different ways than positive thoughts. Fear-based thoughts adversely affect our being while faith-based thoughts enhance our wellbeing. The longer we dwell or focus on fear, the more those thoughts influence our body. When we overcome fear, we change the affect that fear is having on our body.
My ProcessNothing in all my study of psychology helped me overcome fear. My studies had not given me anything I could use to test what was truly rational versus what was irrational-what was truth versus what was a lie. Since my early beliefs were grounded and rooted in religious doctrines, I turned to the Bible for answers. I made a decision to hold every belief to be false or corrupted until I could validate it in God's Word.
First, I humbled myself and decided that in order to overcome fear, I needed God's help. 1 Peter 5:6 says, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time."
Second, I made the decision that I would cast all my anxieties, all my worries, all my concerns, once and for all on Him and trust Him to teach me what I needed to know to change fear into faith. 1 Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
Third, I began to overcome fear when I took a stand against the devil, declaring him to be the liar while choosing to believe God, accepting everything He said as truth! 1 Peter 5:8-9 says, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."
When I stood, God stood with me. When I grounded myself in God's Word, I became immovable and determined through Jesus Christ. Over the years, I have continued to become established, securely grounded, and strengthened. I have determined to stay His course, to become all He created and designed me to be.
I encourage you to seek God's truth, challenge every fear-based thought to find out what is really true and what is a lie. I encourage you to make the Bible your standard of truth and trust God to help you separate truth from lies. Everything you need to overcome fear is available to you through Jesus Christ and can be found by those who seek Him, who learn to put on His character as their own, and who abide in His Word.