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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