Archive for the ‘Anxiety & Stress’ Category

Where Did Fear Originate?

Posted in Agoraphobia, Anxiety & Stress, Bible Study, Christian, Faith, Health, inspirational, Panic Attacks, Panic Disorder Support, Scripture, tagged , , , , , , , on February 4, 2009| 7 Comments »

Wild Turkey

wild turkey at our bird feeder

 

Have you ever wondered?  Where did all this fear come from anyway?  Where did it originate?

Fear had it origins way back in the Garden of Eden.  Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate of the fruit of the forbidden tree.  That started the whole ball rolling.  When they did that their eyes were opened and they realized they were naked.  So, they made some coverings out of leaves.

“They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”  (italics mine) Gen 3:8-10 NASB

Sin and fear entered the picture at this time.  Before that they were not afraid and they lived a very peaceful and fulfilling life in the beautiful garden where they had special and sweet fellowship with the Lord.  Oh, how I wish they had never eaten that fruit!

In this case we could reasonably say that their fear was a result of their sin.  This is something to think about.  When God gives us a command as He did Adam and Eve, which was not to eat of the fruit of that tree, and they disobeyed His command that was sin.  That sin nature has been passed down to all of us, unfortunately.

Today, God has given us many commands in the Bible and when go against them we also sin.  God says,

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”  Php 4:6 NASB

Thank goodness God has given the Christian an antidote for when we mess up and sin, because we all will and do.  It is found over in the book of John.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1Jn 1:9 NASB

You will notice the little word “if” in this verse.  Well, in reality that is not so little, because the promise God gives us hinges on it.  “If we confess our sins,” then he is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us for our wrongdoing. So, it takes something on our part first, (confession) then he is faithful to fulfill His part. (forgiveness and cleansing.)
Actually confession means that we agree with God.  And, we should be sorry that we disobeyed.

Do you realize that God’s love is much more powerful than our fears?  Look at this scripture.

…that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.   Heb 2:14-15 NASB

Isn’t that a wonderful scripture?  We can be free from the power of fear in our lives because Jesus Christ already took care of it. That is what he died on the cross for. What wonderful and powerful love that took.

We will end on a positive note.  Not all fear is sinful.  God has given all of us a kind of fear that protects us from danger. That is not sinful.  Also, God has given us a kind of fear that is godly. 

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. Pro 9:10 KJV

The fear of the Lord is a reverence of God’s majesty.  This is also a good kind of fear.

May God bless you today!

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Where Should We Go For Help?

Posted in Anxiety & Stress, Bible Study, Christian, Faith, inspirational, Religion, Scripture, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 20, 2008| 1 Comment »

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Where should we go for help when we have problems?  That is a good question which everyone must answer.  We do have choices.

When you fall down and break your arm, it’s easy to decide to go to the doctor to get it set and a cast put on so that it will heal properly. God does the healing.

When you feel out of sorts and don’t know why, you know to get to a doctor and have a check up.  You might have some disease like diabetes, or thyroid problems, or the flu.  The doctor can help. 

So, where should we go when things get so bad that we are anxious all the time and even become afraid of doing things?  Or when we start having spells where we get out of breath, perspire, get weak, shaky, and our heart pounds? 

First, I believe you should go to your family doctor and find out if there is anything physical going wrong in your body.  They will run a few tests and tell you if you are physically alright. 

Second, if your tests all come out okay, but you are still having these kinds of issues, then you should consider them to be of a spiritual nature. 

“Struggles of the soul and problems of living must be dealt with as spiritual problems with spiritual solutions.”  Competent to Minister, The Biblical Care of Souls, by Martin & Deidre Bobgan. (Pg. 15)

Psa 1:1-3 NASB  How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!  2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.  3  He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

This Psalm tells us that we should not seek out worldly people for advice. That includes psychiatrists as well as Christian counselors who add psychology to their teaching.  We should not even hang out with worldly people.  Instead, we should go to the Word of God, delight in it, and meditate on it.  There we will find the answers to problems of the soul.  And God will bless us for going to Him for our counsel.

We can also go to mature spiritual Christians, or pastors who know the Bible and are living according to it.  They can pray with us and for us.  Along with the power of the Holy Spirit, God will reveal how to handle these problems.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 “(Most) blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, that spreads out it roots by the river and shall not see and fear when heat comes, but his leaf shall be green; he shall not be anxious and careful in the year of drought, not shall he cease from yielding fruit.” (Amplified Version)

God wants us to be blessed and not full of fear and dread.

Because God loves us and created us He knows how we tick.  He has given us His Word as a guide.

2Ti 3:16-17 LITV  All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,  17  so that the man of God may be perfected, being fully furnished for every good work.

Scripture is sufficient to guide us in all things that have to do with the heart, soul, and mind. 

2Pe 1:2-4 NASB  Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;  3  seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.  4  For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

The Bible is full of promises. There are hundreds of them.  God does not lie but He does keep His promises.  He can do that because He is God.  We fail miserably in that area don’t we?  How many times has someone broken a promise to you and you were heartbroken?  How many times have we also failed to live up to a promise?  We all do it because we are human.  But, not so, with God.  If you find a promise in scripture you can be sure God will not let you down.

We don’t need psychiatrists telling us how to live our lives.  We don’t need secular counselors giving us advise.  We don’t need all those psychotropic drugs that put us in la-la land.  We have the Wonderful Counselor! He is the Prince of Peace, and He can give us the peace that passes understanding.

Isa 9:6 NASB  For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. (NASB)

When Jesus left this earth He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell every believer to be our teacher, our comforter, and counselor.

Joh 14:26 LITV  but the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and shall remind you of all things that I said to you. (LITV)

The Word of God is precious.  Immerse yourself in it.  Read and study the Word and you will find the answer to all your problems pertaining to life and godliness.  We want to live in a way that glorifies our precious Savior. 

As we grow in grace we become more and more like Christ.  Our old habits, fears, and worries pass away.  We don’t have to carry them anymore.  Our Lord handles them for us. We begin to change as we put on new godly habits, and give our troubles to the one who loves us most.  And, to think someday we will be like HIM!  Oh, Glory to God!

Blessings,
Bonnie

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Chemical Imbalance?

Posted in Anxiety & Stress, Christian, Health, inspirational, Panic Attacks, Scripture, tagged , , , , on November 2, 2008| 2 Comments »

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I want to address the issue of a “chemical imbalance” in our brains as the reason therapist give out psychiatric drugs. This is done all the time and it is a huge money maker for the drug companies and psychiatrists.

I’ve thought for a long time that this was suspect at the least.  My question was, “How do they know there is a chemical imbalance?”  If my thyroid is off they can do a blood test to find that out and then give me a medication to correct it.  This is also, true with blood pressure.  They take my blood pressure and then know if it is in the safe zone.  If not, they prescribe blood pressure medication. 

All this makes sense to me, but if they say I have a chemical imbalance in my brain, I want to see the test results.  But, you know what?  There isn’t any!  They do not exist!  The doctors only “guess” that you have a chemical imbalance and throw pills at you.  These are not just candy pills that wouldn’t harm you, but they are very powerful drugs that actually do change the brain. 

I’ve done some research and find that there is no proof that a chemical imbalance is causing anyone problems such as anxiety, fear, depression, and a lot of other so-called mental problems. 

“The brain is far too complex to be precisely “adjusted” with drugs.  There are more than 500 different neurotransmitters in the brain and no one knows exactly how they work or the consequences of “adjusting” them with drugs.”  (Occult Invasion by Dave Hunt.)

Some people say that panic disorder is a disease, (but it isn’t,) and should be treated the same way as diabetes.  In diabetes the medication is insulin, and for panic disorder they prescribe other drugs.  This, however, is not so. They should not be treated the same way.

Dave Hunt in Occult Invasion goes on to say, “There is one huge difference:  Insulin operates below the neck, while psychoactive drugs affect the brain.  And remember, no one knows what these drugs do to the brain nor how harmful they may be even beyond the many cases of violence, including suicide and murder, which court cases claim were caused by various prescription drugs.”

“In pursuing a “chemical” solution, science ignores what ought to be the first priority:  getting right with God through Jesus Christ.  His incarnation united God and man in His own Person; and He brings that reconciliation and union within the human spirit when He is received as Savior.  Christianity is not a set of rules for one to follow.  Only Christ can live the Christian life, and He will live it in and through those who believe in Him…”

Gal 1:15-16 NASB But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,

Dave Hunt goes on to say, “The Spirit of God within us needs no help from psychotherapy or drugs.”

It is sad to me to think that millions of people are being duped into thinking they have a chemical imbalance when in fact there is no scientific evidence that they do.  We are becoming a nation of druggies.  If we are anxious they give us a pill.  If we feel sad and blue they give us a pill.  There seems to be a pill for everything.  I know you’ve seen all the commercials on television advertising drugs for anything and everything.  What in the world is going on?

Dear friends, I want so much for each and every one of you to live the life that God wants for to.  I know that some of you can’t even leave your homes.  Some of you can’t get out and enjoy shopping or taking your kids to fun events.  Some of you are so full of anxiety and fear your life is controlled by it.  It makes me sad.  I know how you feel because I’ve been there myself.  I’m very thankful for our Wonderful Savior who delivered me out of that trap.  In my case, it took a long time because I did not know what I know now.  That is why I share with you and keep sharing as I learn and grow in Christ.

Doesn’t it make sense that if God made us He can help us through all our difficulties.  He does allow trials and difficulties into our lives.  He does that out of love.  He allows pressures to come into our lives to test us and help us grow in Him.  We need to get to the place where we can thank God for everything, even the seemingly bad things that come along.  He allows this in order that we become more and more like Christ.  So, we must look for the lessons in whatever we are going through and ask God to reveal to us how we are to deal with it and grow in Him. 

Rom 8:28-29 NASB And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

Here is a web site I found and read with interest.  You may also want to read this article.

The Chemical Imbalance Hoax

It’s very disturbing to me that so-called professionals would take advantage of vulnerable people because of the love of money, greed, and selfishness.

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Slave to Christ

Posted in Anxiety & Stress, Bible Study, Christian, devotional, Faith, Gospel, inspirational, Praise, Religion, Scripture, Worship, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 27, 2008| 1 Comment »

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October’s beauty!

Have you ever thought of yourself as a slave to Christ?  I hadn’t until recently.  I thought more of myself as a servant of Christ.  Like a helper at times.  But a slave, no.

As I began to think about this I realized that we can be slaves to many things.  Who or what are you a slave to?  Anyone or anything that controls us owns us, and we are slaves to them. 

Some could be slaves to alcohol, money, lust, sex, pornography, smoking, sports, illegal drugs, pot, television, work, or fear, worry, and anxiety.  Those are just some of things we can be controlled by.  We can also be a slave to people; our husbands, our children, our friends. 

On the other hand we should be a slave to Christ.  However, the Bible tells us we cannot serve two masters.

Matthew 6:24 NASB  “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

So there is the problem.  Who or what do we serve? 

When we become a Christian we do not any longer have to be a slave to fear.  God adopts us into His family.  He takes care of us from then on.

Romans 8:15 LITV  “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery again to fear, but you received a Spirit of adoption by which we cry, Abba! Father!”

It is the same with the other bondage’s that we find ourselves in.  When we turn our lives over to the Lord as our Lord and Master, then we no longer have to be a slave to anyone or anything. 

Rom 6:6 NASB  knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;

The Greek work “Doulos” in the Bible is often translated as servant.  It should be slave.  It does make a difference.

A servant is one who has a choice.  They worked for wages and could quit at any time.  A servant can do what he wants and is free to make his own decisions. 

But a slave is bought and owned.  He is to do the will of his master.  He has no rights and cannot do as he pleases.

1Co 7:22-23 LITV  For the one called while a slave in the Lord is a freed man of the Lord. And likewise, the one called while a free man is a slave of Christ.  23  You were redeemed with a price; do not become slaves of men.

You see when Jesus died on the cross for the payment of our sins he bought us with his own precious blood.  He now owns us and the Word says we are to become a slave of Christ.  That is an awesome thought!

In the Bible, Paul saw himself as a slave of Christ. 

Rom 1:1 LITV  Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, a called apostle, separated to the gospel of God,

Gal 1:10 LITV  For do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I would not be a slave of Christ.

Paul is talking to Timothy here.  He refers to Timothy as a slave of the Lord.

2Ti 2:24 LITV  But a slave of the Lord ought not to quarrel, but to be gentle towards all, apt to teach, forbearing,

When we see ourselves as a slave of Christ our whole attitude changes.

  • We realize we have been bought and are not our own.  We can then die to “self.” And, let that part of us go.
  • We need to be always available and ready to serve our Master.
  • We need to make sure we don’t get caught up with trying to serve two masters.
  • We need to pray and keep close to our dear Lord.
  • We need to be dependent on Him for all things.  He will supply all our needs according to His riches in Glory.  (Philippians 4:19.)
  • We need to realize that God may allow trials and troubles to come into our lives, but they are to discipline us and grow us to be more like Him.  They are for our good.
  • And, we need to know that everything good that comes our way is from God Himself. 

We’ve truly been blessed when we come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Master. 

  • He has made us a child and heir of God and a joint-heir with Jesus Christ.  (Romans 8:14-17) 
  • We are an ambassador for Christ, (II Corinthians 5:20),
  • a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a citizen of a holy nation, a possession of God (I Peter 2:9),
  • and a holy temple of the living God. (II Corinthians 10:5)

We will actually rule and rein with the Lord in Heaven some day.  Isn’t that truly amazing!  What a Savior!  What a Master!

That is only a few of the blessings God bestows upon us.  And to be honest none of us deserve any of it.  I’m truly happy to learn that I am a slave to Christ! 

Scripture taken from NASB  New American Standard Bible and LITV Literal Translation of the Holy Bible

Note: For more teaching on the subject of slaves for Christ you can go here to John MacArthur’s web site. 

http://www.gty.org/Products/DVDs/8280-321

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God Will Take Care of You

Posted in Anxiety & Stress, Christian, Faith, Hymns, inspirational, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on September 17, 2008| Leave a Comment »

Here is a comforting old hymn that I thought might bless you.  I’m thinking of all of you who have been displaced by Hurricaine Ike, and all the weather related problems that occured all through out the midwest and east.  Some  of you have lost everything.  You need words of comfort.  God is still there even though it doesn’t seem so at times.  He is still watching out for you and He is the God of all comfort.  My prayer is that He will take good care of you now. 

 Rest in his arms when difficulties come your way.  He is your Heavenly Father!

I Peter 5:7  (NIV)  “Cast all you anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”

Civilla D. Martin (1866-1948)

Words: Ci­vil­la D. Mar­tin, 1904; first appeared in Songs of Redemption and Praise, by John A. Davis, 1905.

I was con­fined to a sick bed in a Bi­ble school in Les­ter­shire, New York. My hus­band was spend­ing sev­er­al weeks at the school, mak­ing a song­book for the pres­i­dent of the school. “God Will Take Care of You” was writ­ten one Sun­day af­ter­noon while my hus­band went to a preach­ing ap­point­ment. When he re­turned I gave the words to him. He im­me­di­ate­ly sat down to his lit­tle Bil­horn or­gan and wrote the music. That even­ing he and two of the teach­ers sang the com­plet­ed song. It was then print­ed in the song­book he was com­pil­ing for the school.

Music: Wal­ter S. Mar­tin (MI­DI, score).  (click on MIDI to listen)

                              

                     W. Stillman Martin (1862-1935)

Be not dismayed whate’er betide,
God will take care of you;
Beneath His wings of love abide,
God will take care of you.

Refrain

God will take care of you,
Through every day, over all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.

Through days of toil when heart doth fail,
God will take care of you;
When dangers fierce your path assail,
God will take care of you.

Refrain

All you may need He will provide,
God will take care of you;
Nothing you ask will be denied,
God will take care of you.

Refrain

No matter what may be the test,
God will take care of you;
Lean, weary one, upon His breast,
God will take care of you.

Refrain

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Mother Nature Gone Wild?

Posted in American culture, Anxiety & Stress, Christian, Faith, inspirational, Religion, Scripture, tagged , , , , , , , , , on June 10, 2008| 4 Comments »

 

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What is happening?  Everyday we hear on television how the “wrath of Mother Nature has wrecked havoc” somewhere in our country.

Almost 1000 tornados have hit the USA this year so far, and more than 100 people have died.

Tornados have ripped through the mid-west and east.  Torrential rains have caused flooding in several states, with roads washed out, houses submerged, and cars with only their rooftops visible.

Fires in Florida and California have devastated many acres.  And now it’s time for the hurricane season to begin.

In China 5.5 million people have been left homeless from the terrible earthquakes that have hit there recently.  Nearly 100,000 people died in those quakes.

In Myanmar (Burma) 60,000 or more have died when a cyclone hit that country.  There is death, disease, and poverty everywhere for those poor people to contend with.  Their main religion is Buddhism.

I realize that China and Myanmar are not Christian countries, and perhaps God is judging them for that?

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The book of Job shows us how God works as he controls nature.

See my article: God Controls Nature

Another helpful article explaining the origin of the phrase “Mother Nature that we use so much today is here.   God or Mother Nature?

There are also some people in this country today who actually worship Mother Nature, or Mother Earth.  This is a false religion but many take it very seriously.  They are worshipping the creation rather than the creator.

So, I come back to my beginning question:  What is happening?

Do you think God is judging this nation with the wicked weather we are experiencing?  I’d like to hear your thoughts on this.

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Fear of Fear Pt.5 – Take Action!

Posted in Agoraphobia, Anxiety & Stress, Bible Study, Christian, devotional, Faith, Health, inspirational, Panic Attacks, Panic Disorder Support, Religion, Scripture, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 23, 2008| 4 Comments »

 

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This is the final post in this series of Fear of Fear.  This article is very important because you find exactly what you need to do to become an overcomer of fear.

Remember, now, we have been discussing two people who had problems with fear and anxiety to the point that it was controlling their lives. 

First, Paul, was afraid to cross bridges.  Then, Kim, who was afraid of cars.  We looked at some things they both needed to understand in order to conquer their fears.  You can go back and read the articles leading up to this one which explains each of the topics below. 

1.  His fear was real.
2.  His fear was wrong and sinful.
3.  His fear was not of bridges; it was a fear that had become associated with bridges.
4.  Paul’s real fear was of the experiences.  (The cause of fear)
5.  Here is the key to becoming an overcomer.
6.  There is not some mysterious thing going on.
7.  The devil made me do it!
8.  Normal anxiety is good.
9.  Courage
10.Understanding

The final point is: 

11. Take Action

Even if a person reads and understands all of the above points, it does not mean they will necessarily be an overcomer of the fear they face.  You see understanding isn’t enough.  You must take action!

In Paul’s case he had suffered a lot of sleep loss and he discovered its effects were behind his fears.  He saw how he falsely associated crossing bridges with how he felt.  He then prayerfully crossed a bridge.  He was anxious but did not panic.  He did this over and over until his problem was solved.  He was able to get on with his life again.

Kim also faced her fear head on with the knowledge that the Lord would help her, and it wasn’t the car she was fearful of but her own feelings or symptoms.  She too has been victorious.

The point is that even though knowledge about how our bodies work, what is really going on in our minds,  and our relationship to God, is not enough to make us well.  We still have to get out there and DO something.  Take action is our motto!

I know many of you are still plagued with panic attacks.  You have tried everything.  You’ve read every book available on the subject.  You have listened to tapes and bought self-help programs, but you are still not well. 

You need to be informed, and you also must trust in God.  You need to make sure you are in a right standing with God so that He will answer your prayers.  If you have any known sin in your life you need to confess it, repent of it, (and that means a real change) and then believe the promises God has given you in the Word.  Stay in the Word, study it, pray and keep close to God.  You faith is your greatest weapon against fear.

I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  (KJV)

Psalm 34:4 “I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” (KJV)

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (KJV)

Take these actions and then face your fear.  Armed with the full armor of God your fear will be defeated.  But, you need to get out there and do something!  Sitting there will not do it.

For some of you this means to get out of your bedroom for a day.  Or, take a shower.  It may mean actually going out of the house to take a short walk.  It may mean going to the store by yourself; drive the car again; take the kids to school; walk the dog; feed the birds.  It could be that you need to find a job again.  Whatever it is, do it.  Don’t make your goal too hard at first, but push yourself ahead a little bit at a time.  God will not let you down.  Lean on Him!

I understand we are all at different places in our lives after being plagued by fear.  If you have read all of this series of articles, then it is time for you  to judge what your own personal goal should be.  Please, I beg of you, make a goal and go for it.  You will never get better and get your life back unless you take action!

II Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (NIV)

Feel free to comment below and let me know what your new goal is.  Also, come back and share your victories.  It will be a tremendous help to others.

Blessings,
Bonnie

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Fear of Fear Pt. 4 (Hope & Help)

Posted in Agoraphobia, Anxiety & Stress, Bible Study, Christian, devotional, Faith, Health, inspirational, Panic Attacks, Panic Disorder Support, Religion, Scripture, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 13, 2008| Leave a Comment »

 

Spring Colts

We’ve looked at several things that Paul and Kim, the people in our examples had to understand to conquer fear and panic.  Remember that Paul was afraid to cross bridges and Kim was afraid to drive or ride in cars. We started to look at some important facts that Paul needed to understand and consider in order to conquer these problems.  They will help all of us.

1.  His fear was real.

2.  His fear was wrong and sinful.

3.  His fear was not of bridges; it was a fear that had become associated with bridges.

4.  Paul’s real fear was of the experiences.  (The cause of fear)

5.  Here is the key to becoming an overcomer.

6. There is not some mysterious thing going on.

7. The devil made me do it!

Now we will move forward to some other things to think about:

8.  Normal anxiety is good.

There are times when “normal anxiety” is good for us.  Think about that!  Just knowing that takes some of the pressure off.  We need to understand normal anxiety or tension, and use it for good instead of fearing it and trying to remove it. 

When is anxiety good?  Well, suppose you had to get up and give a lesson in front of people at church.  When we do something like that we all feel “nervous,” or “anxious.”  This, believe it or not, is not bad.  What happens is our adrenalin flows in anticipation of when we get up there and speak and we have those butterflies in our stomach, our mouth goes dry, and our hands become sweaty.  Have you ever noticed that many speakers have a glass of water nearby for them?  That is why.  I think most of us have experienced this.

For you and I, we would think we were about to have a panic attack.  This is because we relate those feelings to a panic attack.  In fact, they are normal feelings when we are in those situations.  The good thing this does for us is cause us to be more alert, and more on target with our talk.  It gives us that energy and edge we need to make our talk interesting, and keep the attention of those whom we address. 

I’ve experienced this myself since I’ve had panic attacks.  I’ve had to lead groups now and again and it seemed every time I’d get nervous before doing it.  But, I learned that once I got going with my lesson I’d settle right down.  It was that extra energy that made the lesson interesting and made me more animated and outgoing.  I’d even think of things that I hadn’t planned in my lesson.  I credited the Holy Spirit who helped me, and that is true also.  We must make sure we do all things prayerfully.

The tension the body creates when we are about to do something is good tension.  We need to realize that and harness it.  It helps us to do a better job.  It is only when we feel these anxious feelings and tell ourselves that we will have a panic attack that fear takes over and this good tension spirals out of control.  With understanding we can handle and control our normal anxiety.

The situation might be something like meeting a certain person, or going on a trip, or talking to the boss about a raise, or any number of things.  We get nervous and tense.

Another example of tension that we need but need not fear is going to a job interview.  A few of you face that situation right now.  Know that it is okay to feel that kind of tension as you prepare to go.  Do not interpret these feelings as a panic attack coming on, and then let your mind spiral into the fear thoughts.  You need to recognize what is happening and pray to God to help you with the interview. This tension will help you give a good interview.  Don’t be afraid of tense feelings if you are facing something. They are normal!  We must be alert, not overly relaxed, or not overly tense. 

When  need to keep our mind focused about the task at hand and the subject matter and not on ourselves.  When we drift out thoughts to ourselves, and think about “how well am I doing?” “How do I look?” “Do they like me?” then we have opened the door to the possibility of panic.

I often think about my level of tension like a car.  When I’m home I’m more relaxed and I think of it as being in “low gear.”  When I go out and get around people I often feel like I’m in “high gear.”  I’m revved up and ready to go!  I’ve often wondered why, but now realize that it is normal to feel that way.  My body gets ready for what ever I will face.  It is great to know that I’m not “strange,” with how I feel.  When I’m around new people especially I sometimes get giddy and think of all kinds of cute things to say.  That is nervous tension being released.  It can be used for good.

Jay Adams says,in The Christian Counselor’s Manual, Zondervan, 1973, “Normal anxiety is good and needs to be understood and used rather feared and removed.  This God has provided to enable men to live responsibly.  It is only the fear spiral–and at its end the debilitating panic–that is wrong and must be overcome.  Indeed it is through this normal anxiety preparation that God will give courage to face and conquer the problem.” 

9.  Courage:

Christians need courage to face this problem.  This courage will come out of our faith and trust in God and His Word.  We have many precious promises in the Word that we can cling to and know that God will be faithful.

Keep in the Word and prayer and God will renew our minds and help us be in control of anxiety.

10.  Understanding:

We have looked at several things that we need to understand in order to conquer those awful panic attacks in our lives.  There is hope, and with understanding of how the good Lord made us and how we operate, we can learn how to control our feelings and be overcomers!

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