The Reality of Fear

FEAR is a natural, powerful and primitive instinct. Fear under the correct circumstances is a gift. This adaptive response is designed to help us fight or flight when an imminent, dangerous situation presents itself. When a fear response is triggered it starts a hormone response that has profound effects on the human body. Primitive humans had to flee wild beasts and defend themselves from aggressors on a daily basis. Fear was and is pivotal in surviving threats that are imminent and proximate. What happens when our fear response becomes continuous and persistent? What happens when the danger is not imminent and death is not certain? Fear can turn into phobia and anxiety. The adaptive nature of fear and our hormonal response can have damaging affects on the mind, body, and spirit. This instinct is as innate as hunger. Babies have shown a fear response to spiders and snakes even though they have never been bitten. When we are not involved with fighting or fleeing, we need to regulate our fear. Just as hunger can't go unbridled, either can fear. If fear rises up in us and becomes persistent we must question the reality of this response. Is death certain at this moment? Is this situation going to lead to my immediate death or bodily harm? If you can't answer yes to these questions, than fear needs to be restrained and logic and reasoning needs to take over. We can use logic and reasoning to protect ourselves from dangerous situations, but we have to separate this from irrational fear. Fear becomes irrational when great threat of bodily harm is not imminent or probable and when it starts to affect our daily life and activities. Fear can be a gift, but it can also be contagious. One of the most recurring messages of the bible is Do Not Fear. Hundreds of verses and messages "Do not Fear for I am with you!" "Be strong and courageous, Do not tremble or be dismayed!" "With the Lord on my side I do not fear, What can man do to me?" Our Lord knows us all too well. We must remind ourselves daily with what Jesus taught us. Over and over again. Do not let fear infect your mind or heart. Do not let it rot and fester inside your soul. Ask God for the grace and the strength to return fear to its proper place.

" no amount of agreement to collide with the laws of Reality will make the collision anything but destructive." - Frank Sheed

"for God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power and love and self-control. - 2 Timothy 1:7