A thought by Ed Young, from his book, The Fear Virus: Vaccinating Yourself Against Life's Greatest Phobias (p.17). Creality Publishing. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)
So, we need to name them.
Ed says, “We might find ourselves doing certain things without knowing why we are doing them. Our bodies and minds naturally seek coping mechanisms, even if we aren’t aware of the reason we need to cope. For example, you might be unaware of your social anxiety, but every time you meet with someone you are always picking at something—tearing up a piece of paper, picking at your cuticles, playing with your keys. Those habits are your body’s ways of coping with stress and fear. You might be unaware of your fear of abandonment, and every time you start a new relationship, you become really clingy and always need to be around the other person. Maybe you have an unnamed fear of clowns, and you haven’t been to a carnival in years. Whatever it may be, the only way to face your fears and begin processing them is to recognize them and name them.”
He goes on, “How do we name fears we aren’t aware of? Great question. One way is to spend some time introspecting. Reflect on your recent behaviors at work, at home, in your relationships with family and friends, in your finances. Reflect on the media you’ve been consuming. Is it projecting the values you are trying to live out? Or is it causing you to be more fearful? Reflect on your view of God. Do you see Him as a loving Father, a taskmaster, a silent observer, or a teacher? What is your current view of Him? In your time of honest introspection, you can uncover a lot about what your fears are and how they’re controlling you.
“Another way we can begin naming our fears is by talking to the people who know us the best. Whether that is a parent, a friend, a mentor, or a child, ask them questions. Here are a few to start with:
· Do you see any evidence of fear in my life right now?
· In what areas of my life do you think I need to grow?
· Have the ways I’ve been treating you and responding to things been encouraging or discouraging to you?
He continues, “Not going to lie, these are hard conversations to have. You need to approach these conversations with humility. Try not to get defensive. Listen. Reflect. And take your questions to God as well. We can pray, ‘God, is there any area of my life that I’ve been acting in fear? Please reveal my fears to me so that I can name them and bring them before your throne.’ God loves to help us grow, so when you pray this, expect a quick answer.”
Ed then says, “When we know and can name our fears, we can finally stop running from them. We can face them head on. Constantly running from fear can leave us exhausted and feeling quite helpless. We don’t need to keep running. Stop. Listen. What is it you’re running from? Name it and claim power over it in the name of Jesus because ‘in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us’ (Romans 8:37). We don’t have to be consumed by our fear because God is bigger than any and all fear. And He is on your side.
And He really is, isn’t He?
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