March 03, 2015

FEAR


It was four o’clock in the morning. We were startled from sleep by our four-year-old son who was scared. He said he had seen a huge mouse in the hall while on his way to the bathroom. “It looked like a Guinea Pig,” he said, with tears in his voice. I thought to myself, “That’s a big mouse.” I told him to go on to the bathroom. I said, “A mouse won’t hurt you. He’s as much afraid of you as you are of him.” I was wrong. As he started out the door he let out a horrifying scream. He turned and jumped from the door onto the bed. I’ve never seen anyone that small jump so far in my life. He was hysterical. My wife and I tried to calm him down. Just then, we heard our oldest son call from the living room that one of our hamsters was out. So, I got out of bed and started searching for the “huge mouse that looked like a Guinea Pig.” We finally found her in the bathroom and put her back in her cage. Then we all went back to sleep.
I’m sure the fear our son was experiencing was brought on by several different factors. I’m sure it came partially from his being so young and inexperienced, and from thinking there was an animal in his home that wasn’t supposed to be there. Some of our biggest fears come from a lack of knowledge; Fear of the unknown.
When we’re young we’re innocent and trusting. It doesn’t take long for fear to develop in us though. As we get older we learn not to fear certain things we once did, but at the same time, other fears develop in us. Life throws so many things at us and we can’t always dodge them all. But, as we learn to trust God, we begin to understand that he knows all, and he is watching over us and protecting us. Then, we can have peace and not be afraid when we find ourselves in situations we don’t understand. 2 Timothy 1:7 says “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
The Bible says fear doesn’t come from God. Satan and his evil angels are the ones who cause us to be afraid. There is no limit to the different things they can use to accomplish their goals, but I think visual media is the number one way they put fear into the hearts of humans. TV, movies, and video games are among the top ways I see this happening, and people keep watching stories about ghosts, zombies, vampires, and demons and they have no clue that these things are opening doorways for demons to enter their lives. No wonder people have so much fear today. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Psalm 118:6 says, “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.” 
Isaiah 12:2 says, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid:”
We need a close, personal relationship with God. This doesn’t just happen. We have to be intentional about it, just like in a marriage. You have to work at any relationship. The Bible is clear that God wants a close relationship with us. Prayer, reading, and studying the Bible every day will help us to get to know Jesus as our friend, our Lord, and our Savior. When we allow him to live in our hearts, he will give us peace of mind and banish all fear from our lives.
———————————————–
My Blogs
https://teddylynn.blogspot.com
https://teddylynn.wordpress.com
© 2015 Teddy Lynn – All Rights Reserved
My books are available in paperback and digital format on Amazon @
https://www.amazon.com/Teddy-Lynn/e/B01MZDB6L6