Fearing fear

Do you sense it? That all-pervasive fear that seems to be gripping too many. We wonder, ‘Is this the eye of the hurricane? Or has the storm passed?’ We hold our breath, wondering what’s next.

It’s true, there are lots of things to fear and we want to protect our people, ourselves. But fear is sneaky and creative. And when we give it free rein, it multiplies: Republicans fear the Democrats; Democrats fear the Republicans. We fear a difference of opinion. Why? We fear running out of toilet paper. Just stop. Breathe. “In the multitude of my anxieties within me…”(Ps. 94:19).

This afternoon I’d sat at the computer long enough, and the October sunshine and the possibility of hearing soothing water drew me down to my prayer place, the Metolius River.

I walked along its banks and remembered when I was a kid hearing Mahalia Jackson sing Psalm 27. My parents had her album, and we listened to it over and over. She belted it out: “The Lord is my light and my salvation: Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?”

Today I needed me some Mahalia, with her songs of declaration, songs of faith. No timid wishy-washy songs. Songs that declare hope and knowing. And she sang it with her whole self. I googled it, and sure enough, found her on YouTube and sang along with her. “The Lord is the strength of my life!”

Jesus told us, “Don’t be afraid.” But we are, sometimes. Anger can pull us in, energizing us, and along with fear makes us feel stronger. At least in the beginning. But it backfires, and the truth is that God is not the author of fear. It’s of the Enemy. And we don’t want that creep around.

The challenge is: What do I believe? Who is greater? Do I stand on the Rock, Jesus Christ? Faith calls me to say, “Yes, I will trust.” I will choose faith, not fear.

• Faith leads us to Knowing. “Be still and know that I am God.” Fear leads us to turmoil, uncertainty.

• Faith leads us to Peace. Fear leads us to alienation, to sleeplessness.

• Faith energizes us, motivates us: “They that know their God shall do great exploits.” Fear keeps us small, keeps us from stepping into our calling.

• Faith leads us to Hope; Fear leads us to despair.

Can we defeat fear? You bet! This isn’t my first rodeo with fear. Years ago, when my babies were small and my husband was traveling overseas, I was terrified by staying home alone. I began to memorize verses like Psalm 27 and others. I learned to defeat fear by watching what I took in: what media I watched, what I read. I even had to learn to pray with faith — not with fear (which I’d been doing). There’s such a thing as praying with fear, with foreboding or dread.

Here’s a more powerful way to pray: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds” (Phil. 4:6 & 7).