Dear Friends,
Recently, I felt the Holy Spirit speak a word to me about fear. It became a sermon, but the issue is so important, I want to encourage you with some thoughts on the subject today.
Currently, fear is taking ahold of people in significant ways. Many things in our world seem overwhelming. My recent conversations with people have included discussing the pandemic, racial injustice, the political climate, global military uncertainty, financial stability, unemployment, broken relationships, school assignments, identity questions, sexual brokenness, and so much more. Fear is taking root in people, and it is leading to overwhelming anxiety. Anxiety is a normal emotional response. It is the brain's way of reacting to stress and alerting our bodies to potential danger. Anxiety and fear are close cousins, triggering our fight, flight, or freeze mechanism to protect us from imminent threats.
There is so much to be afraid of that we are losing sight of what we are not afraid of. A recent conversation with a friend reminded me of the severity of this issue. My friend’s fear-triggered anxiety resulted in being physically paralyzed at home, windows closed and in the dark, withdrawn from everyone. This is a real experience for many people. In his book A Failure of Nerve, Edwin Friedman states, "When anxiety reaches certain thresholds, ‘reasonableness and honesty’ no longer defend against illusion, and then even the most learned ideas can begin to function as superstitions”. I'm no different than most of you. I wear a mask most hours of the day. I wash my hands and use sanitizer over and over. I distance myself from people, which is VERY difficult for me. After the recent presidential debate, I said under my breath, "Jesus help us" in a way that perhaps indicated He wasn't already there in the middle of the mess. And that is exactly when I was reminded that He is there, He has been there, He will continue to be there. I might forget, but He is still there. I might think that what I learned about Him as a child is not enough for life’s circumstances, but He is still there. His power, presence, and purpose are still present in my life and yours. There is nothing superstitious about His presence in the world yesterday, today, or tomorrow.
If you find yourself feeling anxious, find a quiet place to sit down, close your eyes, and say this verse at least three times. “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). After you have repeated the verse several times slowly, sit in the silence for a moment and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with strength, hope, and peace.
Jesus, there is so much going on in our world. The feeling of being overwhelmed and fearful is prevalent and real. Would You whisper peace to our hearts? Would you wash over our minds with Your love, helping us remember that You are with us in the darkest valley? We have nothing to fear. Amen.
In Christ,
Phil Rasmussen