DO NOT BE AFRAID. Part 2

DO NOT BE AFRAID!

Part 2

Almost every human being has been afraid at one time or many times. Some people live with fear the entire life. That is not good for the body. We know that fear and anxiety might lead to many diseases. I once drove a young woman to the hospital and she thought that she was dying. She had lost the sensation in the arms and in the legs and had great problems with the breathing. After some examinations the doctors said that she had an attack of panic and she hyper-ventilated. That means that the body doesn’t get enough oxygen. I referred last time to some Bible verses saying that we should not be afraid. This time I will write more about the human aspect of fear.

Anxiety is often difficult to define. One doesn’t always know why one gets full of anxiety. It is like an unpleasant emotion and the body starts to sweat and it is like the stomach becomes like a knot and the muscles tightened. Fear comes when it comes to something concrete. One might have fear for taking the bus, go to the shop, seeing snakes or being on high places. Sometimes it is easy to understand why one gets afraid. If one is bit by a dog, it is almost natural to become afraid of dogs. The brain reacts when you see a dog and the brain remembers what happened when you were bit. If you almost drowned once, you will most likely become afraid of water and you cannot relax and enjoy to swim or be in the water. Others have been scared when they were in the dark and they get afraid and do not dare to walk alone when it is dark. Children are often terrified by adults telling them stories saying that everything is dangerous. My mother said that I would get sick if I entered a room where someone had smoked. As a child I trusted my mother and I got sick when I entered a room where they had smoked. Many have been exposed to different kinds of encroachments and that creates reactions of fear. I recently prayed for a woman having problems when she and her husband should have sex. She was attacked sexually by a man as a child. Attacks on children make deep wounds and the child feels alone and defenseless. Some are destroyed for life.

Some people do not understand why they get afraid. When I am in counselling, I often ask a person if they can remember some negative events. Maybe it is some subconscious memories causing the reaction of fear. If the person doesn’t remember, I ask The Holy Spirit to reveal the root of the problem. We might remember things, but our body is also remembering. We might not clearly understand that.

Anxiety and fear are often caused by inheritance or things we have experienced. We can actually be born with fear. We say that it runs I the family. When we ask if others are having the same problems in the family, I often get names of members in the family of the mother or the father. What can we do about it? 1.Peter 1:18 is saying that we can brake the meaningless inheritance from our forefathers. Some Bible-translations call fear for a spirit. 2.Tim.1:7 is saying that we haven’t received a spirt of fear, but of a sound mind. Anxiety and fear can be connected with a trauma or an unpleasant experience. I help people coming back to what happened in the past. If somebody has hur them, they need to forgive the person and maybe they need to do that many times. I ask The Holy Spirit to enter what happened with healing, love and peace. Wrong words might be broken. Sometimes spirits might be driven out. Only the Lord can do these things.

Sometimes I see fear and anxiety as octopus. It is like a family with many arms. We might be afraid of many things. Maybe we must take one area at a time. We are supposed to renew our thoughts and change our behavior. I really do not think that we can do that for all areas at a time. I usually have counselling over some time.

I mentioned the woman who hyper-ventilated in the beginning. It is important that we breathe calmly and deeply when the fear comes. Some are saying that you should lay down with your hands on the stomach and breathe 15 times. I know that some alternative therapists use breathing in connection with meditation, but breathing is in itself divine. Many psychologists are saying that we should do what we are afraid of. I think that we Christians are having a privilege since our Lord is our Shepherd and He will be with us. We can take Him by the hand. Sometimes it is good to go through the situation in advance. It might be helpful to mentally be prepared for feeling and reactions that might come when one enters situations that were scaring earlier. To have with you a person you trust, is an advantage. Both God and people might be helpful.

 

YOU MUST REMEMBER THAT GOD IS FOR YOU AND NOT AGAINST YOU!

Mother Else