F.E.A.R. is False Evidence Appearing Real. What does that mean, you inquire?
In regard to fear, there are two questions we must ask ourselves.
1. What happens to us when we live in a state of fear?
2. When we feel afraid, what should we be thinking or doing to return to a positive place?
Neither of these are questions most people can readily answer.
The cause of all fear is ignorance and uncertainty. We've all heard of the fear of the unknown. This unknown aspect puts us in a vulnerable state that causes us to experience a conscious level of doubt and worry. Because of our nature to be self-preserving, these emotions trigger our fight or flight response causing us to feel fearful.
As this fear is translated through our physical bodies, it is often presented as anxiety. Anxiety is rarely expressed, but rather suppressed turning into depression. This depression causes disease in the body, which leads to decay. This whole track of ignorance, doubt, worry, fear, anxiety, suppression, depression, disease, and decay can create a very vicious and negative cycle.
The alternative to this cycle - one that leads to positive empowerment.
It's often been said that knowledge is power, but the truth is, APPLIED knowledge is power.
Just like faith without works is dead, so is knowledge without application. But first, before application, the knowledge must be acquired. The only way to acquire knowledge is through exposure and studying.
Unfortunately, in many ways, our academic schooling did us a disservice by not teaching us to love studying. We should love expanding our mind and acquiring new knowledge! But, many of us dread it because we've been programmed to be anxious about studying (and any pending tests that come from it).
Studying leads to familiarity, which can lead to understanding.
The Bible says that wisdom is THE principle we should all obtain, but in all our attaining we should aim to attain understanding. When we don't understand what we have obtained, and its purpose, its abuse becomes inevitable. However, with understanding of purpose comes proper relationship and application.
“If doubt and worry leads to fear, understanding leads to faith.”
In this, we see that fear does have a purpose in our lives, but that purpose is to protect and not paralyze us. Once we realize this, we can see that fear can work as part of a universal law. That law is the law of opposites (or duality). The opposite of doubt and worry is understanding and peace. If doubt and worry lead to fear, understanding leads to faith. Faith then leads to expression and well-being. This expression puts us at ease rather than causing disease.
In understanding duality, we realize that there are two sides to every situation. It is however our perception is that crafts our reality and response to that situation. As Believers, it is our job to shine light into darkness, helping others to see the positivity in a situation as we also believe. For it is written in the Bible, that all things shall work together for our good as Believers called according to His purpose.
“Overcoming that negativity, which is often the root of our fears, starts with changing our mindset.”
The problem is many people crave and feed on negativity. This is why you see so many more people tuning into CNN than self-help or inspirational programming. Much of this desire comes from familiarity. We are often inundated with more negativity than we may realize. Overcoming that negativity, which is often the root of our fears, starts with changing our mindset. We must begin to have the mind of God, whose ways are not our ways, and who has not given us the spirit of fear. We do this by hearing and studying His word and principles.
I encourage you today to make a conscious effort to hold every thought captive. Make each thought obedient to the ideas of God. To help you with that process try committing an hour a day to positive information (stay off social media, read an inspirational blog, read your Bible). Come back here and tell me about your improvements. Be sure to share your success with others and sharpen them as iron sharpens iron, too.
Until then, be well; and I look forward to your success!