Stop the Spiral
We are called to act to prevent legitimate concerns from awakening hidden fears that can start the engine of worry. We must properly handle hidden fears to stop the cycle of worry and to build our faith at the same time.
Unearth the Hidden Fear
Imagine an item that gets pushed to the back of the refrigerator. Before long it begins to spoil and smell. We open the refrigerator and the scent overwhelms us. We’re forced to pull everything out and find the problem. Worry, like that odor, identifies a problem, a hidden fear. We can’t ignore it; we have to deal with it.
First, identify your fear. Worry can be generated by fears that we haven’t even identified. Common hidden fears include loss of relationships, rejection, harm or injury, illness, loss of control and security. God understands our fears. Sometimes we know our fears but are afraid to admit them or face them. Sometimes fears are hidden. Ask God to reveal to you what you may not be able to see for yourself.
Stay in Community (2 Corinthians 1:4).
Second, lean on the Spirit and the body of Christ to provide understanding. Don’t be surprised if God uses another person, especially another believer, to help you identify your nagging fears. The body of Christ is there to support you. One of the most freeing truths is that others share the same fears, worries and disturbing situations. Other members of the body of Christ can be insightful in helping you deal with your fear.
See fears and worries in light of Scripture. Isaiah 55:8–9 says: “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.
‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’”
Third, review Scripture to find truths that apply to your fears. We are limited in our ability to grasp the whole context of what God is doing. Many times we lack an appreciation of this truth. Scripture provides a tool to understand His viewpoint and how He might be working. Scripture points us to the heart of God and shows how saints before us asked Him to handle their problems. Sometimes God will call us to act and sometimes He will call us to stand and watch as He acts on our behalf.
Cultivate Your Prayer Life.
Fourth, as soon as you smell the odor of fear, start praying. Pray for wisdom, insight, discernment and help. Let the odor of worry point you to prayer.
As we are used to electronic prompts from voicemail, computer programs and other machines, the odor of worry can be a call, a sign to pray and bring hidden fears and growing concerns to God. We should ask, “What am I not seeing, God? Show me my hidden fears, so I can bring them to you.” We can keep this worry to ourselves, pretending to be in control. Sooner or later, however, we will be overwhelmed and forced to cry out for God’s help. We should instead immediately bring our fears to God.
Humble Yourself (James 4:7–10).
Fifth, acknowledge that you need God’s help with fears. You and I don’t control much at all. This is a hard truth for sons of Adam and daughters of Eve, who really like to be in charge. Scripture reveals that we must submit ourselves to God. The refreshing truth is that God is ready to draw near to us. He doesn’t force a relationship. God waits for us to welcome him.
Resist the Devil (1 Peter 5:8–9).
Sixth, draw near to God and tell Satan to get lost. Have you ever walked a child past a mean, menacing dog? The child stays close to you and holds your hand, relying on you as he watches the dog. Satan threatens us in the same way as the dog. Worries and fears, both legitimate and not, may jump out. We should then submit and draw near to God. We should stand alert. We are not passive. We walk alongside God—always under His watchful eye.
Move the Spiral Upward.
Recently, I was called on as an elder of the church I attend to pray over a man. Todd is a successful businessman, active in a ministry to prisoners and running for a position as a state representative. He is happily married with four well-adjusted kids. He was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer a month ago. This diagnosis is a reasonable source of all kinds of legitimate fears.
Todd and his family, however, have taken steps to address these fears head-on. Their concerns haven’t disappeared though. Todd is undergoing a rigorous treatment for the disease. He and his family have stayed connected to the church community and have solicited much prayer. They’ve drawn closer to God. They realize that Jesus Christ is the source of their solution whether it comes through modern medicine or miraculous healing or neither. Todd understands that God is using this illness for his good, the good of his family and church body, and as a witness to those with an active hand in his care.
