“I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.”
—Psalm 3:6, NIV
How many fears do you have? I believe the number should be zero.
According to WebMD, 19 million people in America experience phobias. A phobia is an intense, prevailing, irrational fear that leaves you powerless over your reactions. These extreme, life-altering feelings aren’t diminished by telling yourself your fears simply don’t make sense.
If all 19 million people in that analysis have two fears, the total number of fears is close to 40 million. That’s a long way from zero.
One fear many experience is aerophobia. That’s fear of flying. It can be triggered by real experiences—like severe turbulence—or imagined ones. One summer I needed to travel from Nashville to Memphis for a conference and hated the thought of a 3-hour automobile drive. Then, I discovered a small, regional airline. I’ve been on jumbo jets but never anything as small as this fleet. Nevertheless, it was a wonderful, hassle-free experience that made my journey pleasant. Small plane? Absolutely. Tiny prop jet. I could I have reached up and tapped the pilot on the shoulder.
While we boarded at the private airport in Nashville, a German traveler got on with a 2-liter bottle of Dr. Pepper. How different is that? No aerophobia for him.
Fear has a natural purpose when it protects us from danger. The problem today is that some people exist in perpetual fear; that’s not how God intended for us to live.
When we are fearful, where is our confidence in God? Trusting Him involves refusing to allow fear to impact how we respond to people or situations. God demands complete trust and dependence.
There are 336 references to the word “fear” in the New International Version of the Bible. They include stories of Biblical heroes melting in fear in the faces of their enemies. Not David as he fled from his son, Absalom. In Psalm 3, David counts the number of his enemies, yet he concludes: “Real help comes from God!”
© Regina M. Prude, 2017; Regina is an inspirational speaker & author. Comments: regina@reginaprude.com or POB 58795, Nashville, TN 37205. Blog: www.reginaprude.com; Facebook: www.facebook.com/reginaprude; Twitter: https://twitter.com/rprude