"Fear in the midst of the storm is instinctive and beneficial."

 

A thought by David Jeremiah, from his book, Hope: Living Fearlessly in a Scary World (p. 9). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

Yes it is.

But David then says, "Fear of a storm that could happen is not. It’s an intrusive emotion that can lead us to a greatly diminished life. The imagined fear becomes so vivid that we no longer distinguish it from reality, and for some of us, that fear becomes so debilitating we can hardly get out of bed in the morning. Though the sky is clear, we’re devastated by thoughts of rain. Inside a storm, at least we can look the beast in the eye. But with the fear of fear, the imagined monster is always just on the other side of the door, looming large, even though it doesn’t exist."

He goes on, "Everyone must face fear, but for the believer, its fangs are drawn in because we are protected by an overarching umbrella of hope. Nonbelievers must contrive coping mechanisms, all of which are ineffective. Fatalism ('we’re all doomed') doesn’t work. Existentialism ('we’re all clueless') leads nowhere. Optimism ('hey, it’s all good') lets us down because it’s a lie. It’s not all good. There are things in life worth fearing.

"We need a perspective on fear that takes into account the perfect storms of life but also reassures us that there’s a safe harbor within reach. We can’t put away all fear, but we need not live as its slaves."

He continues, "That’s where Jesus Christ comes in. As we put our hope in Him, this world and its emotions look different in the light of His goodness, power, and wisdom. Fear is simply a fact we must deal with in a fallen universe, but in the Bible we learn that fear can be managed. In God’s Word there is a wealth of guidance on dealing with storms, perfect and imperfect."

David later says, "No matter what your trouble is, you can call on God in the midst of it, and He will calm the storm. But deep is the joy of the one who calls on God before the storm, for he will find that his faith drives out all fear."

Oh, there is so much to learn, isn't there? Yes, yes! #continuethought