Fear is a Liar
Dr. Nicole Fitzpatrick
It is not a far stretch, to say that fear is an epidemic these days. In the current pandemic world we are living in, our fears appear to be multiplying in the face of these most uncertain days and times. Just when we start to get a handle on one thing, something else starts to shift and another calamity strikes, perhaps with health, wealth, the weather most recently here in Texas, work, or whatever the area may be, you can fill in the blank.
God’s heart and desire is for us to live by faith and not by fear in the midst of these most uncertain times. The Bible says, I have not given you a spirit of FEAR but a Spirit of POWER from on high (2 Timothy 1:7). The enemy who wants to steal, kill, and destroy would like nothing more than for you to live bound up in fear – fears of “what if,” “if only,” and “woulda, coulda, shoulda’s” in your life. If you are bound up in guilt, in worry, and in regret you are rendered inadequate to face the day by faith. This is what the enemy would love for you to be trapped in. But God through Christ has given us a way out!
What is going on in our brain? Well, when we are struck by fear, the activation center in our brain ignites, which is called the amygdala. The amygdala is our fight or flight center and is roughly the size of an almond. When the amygdala is activated we want to either wrestle or run from the situation we are in, often instinctually without using our frontal lobe which is our decision making center to think it through. The amgydala wants us to stay in our feelings but God created us with higher order thinking and wants us to bring our feelings forward to make rationale, thoughtful, prayerful decisions that consider our feelings but don’t indulge them to the point they take over our bodies and impair our decision making ability.
The good news is we don’t have to live in fear of our fears nor do we have to allow our fears to dictate our behavior. The best thing you can do is CHOOSE as an act of the will, to bring your thinking forward, thus bringing your fears into the light where they have no power in the darkness anymore. Don’t let the enemy lie to you any longer. You can live above fear. Remember to allow the feelings to be indicators of what to do with your fears. You have the faith to live as an overcomer. Appropriate that by faith first, trusting God for your feelings to follow in due time. Remember fear should never define your faith. Our God is greater.
If you have fears that seem difficult or impossible to face, please contact us at Hyde Park Counseling Center, it would be our privilege to walk with you through the process of living victoriously over fear.
God’s heart and desire is for us to live by faith and not by fear in the midst of these most uncertain times. The Bible says, I have not given you a spirit of FEAR but a Spirit of POWER from on high (2 Timothy 1:7). The enemy who wants to steal, kill, and destroy would like nothing more than for you to live bound up in fear – fears of “what if,” “if only,” and “woulda, coulda, shoulda’s” in your life. If you are bound up in guilt, in worry, and in regret you are rendered inadequate to face the day by faith. This is what the enemy would love for you to be trapped in. But God through Christ has given us a way out!
What is going on in our brain? Well, when we are struck by fear, the activation center in our brain ignites, which is called the amygdala. The amygdala is our fight or flight center and is roughly the size of an almond. When the amygdala is activated we want to either wrestle or run from the situation we are in, often instinctually without using our frontal lobe which is our decision making center to think it through. The amgydala wants us to stay in our feelings but God created us with higher order thinking and wants us to bring our feelings forward to make rationale, thoughtful, prayerful decisions that consider our feelings but don’t indulge them to the point they take over our bodies and impair our decision making ability.
The good news is we don’t have to live in fear of our fears nor do we have to allow our fears to dictate our behavior. The best thing you can do is CHOOSE as an act of the will, to bring your thinking forward, thus bringing your fears into the light where they have no power in the darkness anymore. Don’t let the enemy lie to you any longer. You can live above fear. Remember to allow the feelings to be indicators of what to do with your fears. You have the faith to live as an overcomer. Appropriate that by faith first, trusting God for your feelings to follow in due time. Remember fear should never define your faith. Our God is greater.
If you have fears that seem difficult or impossible to face, please contact us at Hyde Park Counseling Center, it would be our privilege to walk with you through the process of living victoriously over fear.