The Face of Fear

Sunday Night Recap
February 12, 2006

Do you have any phobias? There are HUNDREDS of phobias that people have been diagnosed as having. Here are just a few: (For the rest, check out www.phobialist.com)

Ablutophobia-Fear of washing or bathing
Amathophobia-Fear of Dust
Asymmetriphobia-Fear of asymmetrical things
Coulrophobia-Fear of Clowns
Didaskaleinophobia-Fear of going to School
Dutchphobia-Fear of the Dutch
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia-Fear of Long Words
Levophobia-Fear of things to the Left Side of the Body
Ophthalmophobia-Fear of Being Stared At
Papaphobia-Fear of the Pope
Phobophobia-Fear of Phobias
Pteronophobia-Fear of Being Tickled by Feathers
Zemmiphobia-Fear of the Great Mole Rat

Fear will grip you at some point in your life. How will you recognize it? How will you deal with it? Is fear sinful in and of itself?

Fear shows its ugly face in many different ways. At the end of the blog are listed some avenues that fear uses to affect our lives, along with scripture that tells us something important...there is no need to fear. Do you trust what the Bible says? Do you believe that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do? If so, then fear should not affect your life. If you allow fear to keep you from accomplishing the God-given mission for your life, then you are sinning in your fear.

Maybe you're thinking...I don't fear anything. I never walk around shaking in my boots, allowing anything to keep me from walking with Christ. Well, fear doesn't always show itself through screaming, crying or trembling. Fear can show itself in anxiety, worry, sleeplessness, feelings of loneliness, all as a result of lack of trust.

See, fear really doesn't have to do with scary roller-coasters, or large mice, or men in Rome that wear funny hats. Fear attacks us in times when we want to be in control, but are not. That's where trust comes in. We MUST TRUST in God's Biblical promises and TRUST that He is FAITHFUL to fulfill those promises. Fear becomes sinful when we do not trust that God is faithful to fulfill his promises.

Struggling with fear...just TRUST!

Anxiety/Worry-Prov 12:25; Phil 4:6-8; Isa 41:10; 2 Cor 12:9-10; Psalm 139:16; Isa 45:5-7; Rom 8:28; Isa 26:3-4

Sleeplessness-Psalm 4:8; Psalm 3:1-8; Psalm 74:16; Psalm 16:7-9; Psalm 63:6-8; Psalm 1:2; Psalm 42:8; Mat 6:34

Loneliness-Psalm 25:16; Psalm 142:1-4; Psalm 68:5-6; Deut 31:6; John 15:4; Psalm 38:9-15; Heb 13:5; Josh 1:9

Lack of Trust-Prov 3:5-6; Psalm 56:3, 11; 1 Cor 13:6-7; Psalm 5:11; Psalm 64:10; Isa 26:3; Psalm 84:12; Psalm 112:7