DEALING WITH FEAR

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

 

Currently in 2020 we are dealing with issues caused by the COVID virus that are testing our patience, security and maturity. We all have concerns, some might say fear; of what the future holds for us regarding this disease. Will we come down with this drastic illness? Will one of our family members face death because of it? Fear can be an overwhelming creature that eats away at our relationship with God. During such times we can question if God loves us, why does He allow us to be exposed to danger or to experience devastating events in our lives. We won’t find all the answers to these questions, but we can seek to trust God, grow in our spiritual faith in God, seek to find help and solace in the Bible and lean on the comfort and advice from Christian friends and family. The Holy Spirit who lives within us as Disciples of Christ can be a source of strength and comfort as well. Below I share a fear of my own life. One that I haven’t conquered, but one I deal with on an ongoing basis. God has granted me some strength or you might call “reliance on Him” for those times when this fear attempts to rise up and take over my emotions.

 

I was born in Oklahoma where there are lots of oil wells, chiggers and strip pits. You probably know about oil wells and you might know what chiggers are but I don’t think you know what a strip pit is. Strip pits are large gaping holes left in the earth from strip mining. Companies desiring to obtain coal ore and other minerals, on occasion, will dig huge holes in the ground to reach the veins of ore. Once the mineral source is exhausted, the companies often leave these deep gashes in the earth as evidence of their efforts. As time passes, these wounds in the earth fill with water and become a place where fish can thrive and young boys often swim.

 

One summer my dad and I went to visit a friend of his in Okmulgee, that’s a town in eastern Oklahoma near Tulsa. My dad visited with his friend while I played with the man’s two sons. After some time, my dad and his friend decided to take a short trip out into the country. The destination was one of these strip pits so that the boys could swim. We all got our swimming suits on and anxiously got into our cars.

 

We arrived at the wooded area and noticed some very large mounds of earth that was covered with grass. At the base of these mounds were the strip pits. The mounds of earth were what had been scooped from the earth to create the strip pits. We walked along a narrow dirt trail along the side of the largest strip pit. My dad talked to his friend while we boys ran ahead. My new friends were running ahead of me giggling and shouting. I attempted to keep up with them, but they were several years older than me and much faster runners.

 

Up ahead I could see a sharp bend in the trail where a portion of the bank jutted out into the strip pit like a peninsula. As I ran, I noticed my friends were not slowing down, but gaining momentum as they approached the bend. Upon reaching the curve they jumped with glee high into to air and landed several feet out in the deep water of the strip pit. I was seconds behind them and had only a short moment to decide whether to follow them or not. I decided if they could do it I could too. The problem was I didn’t know how to swim!

 

I don’t know what went through my dad’s mind as he saw his only boy, a non swimmer jump into the 50-foot deep strip pit. I don’t think he hesitated very long. As I hit the water, it occurred to me that knowing how to swim might have been a good idea. The water began to flow over my head and that’s when I panicked. Fear flooded my heart, mind and soul. All of a sudden I felt strong arms grabbing my legs and body and heaving me up to the surface and onto the bank. My dad had saved me!

 

Needless to say I was a ball of tears. All I could do the rest of the day was float on an air mattress very near the bank and deal with my experience as I looked at the muddy bank and grass which grew near the water.

 

As the years have passed, my fears of the water have persisted. I can, and do swim, but there is an underlying discomfort as I do so. I remember one summer in high school we had a swimming pool put in our back yard. I worked all summer attempting to overcome my fear of the water. By summer’s end, I seemed to feel much more comfortable around the water and even slightly confident of my ability to handle my fear.

 

Several years went by and upon returning home one summer from college I decided to go for a short swim. To my astonishment, my discomfort of being near and under the water had returned. I didn’t understand. I thought that I had conquered this mountain of fear. As I ponder on this particular fear in my life, it helps me understand some of the fears and trauma that most of us deal with.

 

There are events that occur in our lives that sometimes mark us for life. While God can heal these memories, sometimes emotional scars remain. I really do believe that God can give us the power to trust Him to cast out such fears. I have been in some situations with my fear of water where all I could do was trust that God knew my fear, He knew my circumstance and He gave me the power to trust that He was in control.

 

I John 4:18 talks about how perfect love casts out fear. This does not imply that God’s love and assurance is a once for all event, but something that may have to be done over and over as we face situations that bring our fear once again to the surface. I praise God that He has the power over my fear and yours. I thank Him that no matter what may happen in my life, my God is more powerful than my circumstances.

 

Whatever your fears, no matter what emotional scars you have, no matter how much you struggle with traumatic memories…my God, your God, OUR GREAT GOD, is much more powerful. He even allows us to partake of this power to overcome our fears so we can serve others and Him. If there are fears that plague you, my advice is to share them with the Lord, you may have to do this many times, not because He cannot remove them from your life instantly, but because He wants to partner with you in dealing with them over time. Sometimes our fears can also be the incentive we need to continue to seek God rather than rely on our own strength. It can sometimes be the “thorn” in our flesh that keeps us close to God.

 

Psalms 118:6

“The Lord is for me; I will not fear.”

Isaiah 35:4

“Say to those with anxious heart, ‘Take courage, fear not…’”

Proverbs 1:7

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.”

Matthew 28:20

“I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”