Understanding of emotions with its context helps us with living our lives in meaning. It is my desire that these articles will continue to give us insight into our behavior and assist us to develop our character for the good of all to bring unity in our diverse world.
I saw my friend playing with his one year old son. He had kept him on a high stool and asked him to jump. Well he didn’t jump! What happened? He didn’t trust his father? Or did he felt his father cannot handle him? Neither! For such a young child these thoughts may be too farfetched. The child after receiving the command ‘Jump’ looked down and didn’t jump. FEAR.
‘Fear’ was and still is the first emotion that many of us function with. Ask yourself why should I lock my house? Why should I bother about a traffic signal? Why do I lie (to anyone)? Why do I behave the way I behave? Knowing light but following darkness?
What is Fear? In simple language it is an emotion that warns us of actual or perceived danger which will produce pain. Actual danger is the reality of a situation e.g. crossing a railway track or road when the train or car is fast approaching. Perceived danger on the other hand is the one which I feel I may get hurt e.g. when I am late to office I feel my boss will fire me or at night I hear a sound in the kitchen or hall I move to pick up something to protect myself.
I function more on perceived danger than on actual danger therefore I end up in more hostile situations then healthy once. It would be a healthy exercise to identify all my fears and categorize them into actual and perceived then analyze their inception.
I need not deal with actual fear for it will eventually save me but with perceived I need to deal with it for it will help me to live to my full potential. I saw a movie I do not remember its title, the professor comes and asks the class to do something that is unconventional the students are afraid and are not able to think of any exceptional activity, the professor on the other hand stand on the table then says “fear is as much as you allow it to be”. This is true of perceived fear though not of actual fear.
Once I have identified the inception of perceived fear I need to think rationally, I may not be able to think when I am in the situation but once the situation has passed away or if I am looking forward to a situation in the future e.g. meeting with an individual with authority like Police officer, company boss, etc.
What will drive out fear?. As for perceived relationship, a simple truth “perfect Love drives out fear” 1John 4:18 only perfect love can drive away fear e.g. perfect love for my boss or any person for that matter without looking at the person’s designation. If the child who has failed in his exams knows that his parents perfectly love him irrespective of his marks he will not have fear and will not think of ending his or her life but might feel sad for failing and will have reassurance of performing better.
As for perceived situations commit it into God’s hands for he reminds us in Isa 41:10 “Do not fear, for I am with you”. Knowing that whatever happens we are safe in the hands of God and that the situation rest’s in the hands of God, this thought changes the situation from fear to freedom.
Our world is gripped in fear it needs to find its true love and assurance that we are perfectly loved by God and are safe in His Hands.
May God bless you and me in dispelling fear and arising in love for His glory.
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