Fear Disrupt Our Emotions

Bienhome Muivah *

The next major symptom of unharnessed fear is "disrupted emotion". The Israelites 40 years desert trek to their promised land was a mine field of fear booby traps. They started their journey being afraid of the Egyptians behind them and ended it by fearing the giants ahead of them. Both the people and their leaders stumbled over, tripped through, and got bagged down in anxiety, anger, worry and depression, much of which could be traced back to fear. Just a casual review of these dramatic stories and prominent emotions easily spotlight four primary fear-related emotions.

The Israelites were chronically worried about how their needs would be met and how they would get to their destination. Just a few days after their miraculous escape across the Red Sea, after Moses and Miriam's wonderful songs of praise to God, the people showed their worry and anxiety. "Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they travelled in the desert without finding water.

When they came to Morah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What are we to drink" (Exodus 15:22-24). That began a long and restless habit of complaining and grumbling, reflecting fears couched in anxiety and worry, they complained because they did not have the same food they ate in Egypt, enough water, and were in constant danger from the inhabitants of the lands they had to pass through.

Anxiety seems to be the official emotion of our age, the basis of all neurosis, and the most pervasive psychological phenomenon of our time. It is as old as human existence, but the complexities and pace of modern life have alerted us to its presence and probably increased its influence. Fear-motivated worry is illustrated by putting a car in neutral and racing the engine. Constructive concern is putting the car in gear and moving toward your goal. In a book titled 'Taming your Fears', depicts the power worry can have in our lives when the writer says "worry and anxiety give a small thing a big shadow".

No wonder Jesus often taught about the importance of not allowing fear to take control of our lives.

Unharnessed fear feels worry and anxiety. Worry and anxiety are frequently symptoms of fear that we have permitted to maintain a stronghold in our hearts and minds. How kind of God to put in His wonderful word; "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus Christ" (Philippians 4:6,7)

FEAR INFLAMES ANGER

Not all anger is fear-related or fear-motivated. But when we have a chronic short fuse and are prone to an angry spirit, often it is a result of a specific fear in our lives that we have not dealt with. It does not take long for fear to grow into full-blown emotional out-burst.

Fears can generate anger, and anger out of control clearly generates increased fears. Destructive anger, triggered by fear, haunts all of us. Every day, a newspaper and TV related incidences of anger erupting into disastrous results. A man attacks his neighbor because he fears that the neighbors new driveway infringes on his property. A political candidate maligns the character of his opponent because he fears the loss of power. The fear-filled personality adopts a corrupted golden rule; 'do to others before they can do to you'. The people in these news stories were all manipulated by fear which triggered angry responses.

FEAR INVITES DEPRESSION

Chronic depression may be symptomatic of a prevailing fear that needs to be identified and resolved before emotional balance can be restored. It is no wonder that, in a generation that feeds on a frenzy of fear-inducing images, depression is one of the most prominent emotional problems in the nation.

Dr. Gary Collins says, "Depression has been recognized as a common problem for more than 3, 000 years. It is a worldwide phenomenon that affects individuals of all ages (including infants), appears to be increasing among teenagers and young adults, and disrupts the lives of an estimated 30 -40 million people in the United State alone.

Depression is known as the common cold or mental disorders and has been called the most widespread, serious and costly psychiatric disease affecting humankind today"

It is helpful when experiencing disrupted emotion to ask yourself some important questions about any prevailing fear that has not been identified or dealt with. The more we understand intimate relationship between fear and other emotions, the more we appreciate the emphasis in the Bible on trust, faith, hope, and love as antidotes to fear. These Biblical principle and Godly characteristics must be emphasized and emulate by all.

God's work thoroughly addresses the battle we all have with fear-generated negative emotions. He graciously and lovingly motivates us to understand and apply. his clear instructions to put off anger, bitterness, wrath, malice, hatred, worry , fear, anxiety, guilt, and covetousness These will surely hurt you and those around you. Spiritual traits that are health producing and contagious are god's powerful antidotes to negative, sinful emotions.

Imagine the freedom and strength that result when we commit ourselves in developing spiritual fruit and other positive emotional and spiritual characteristics.

Put on love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness self-control, gratitude, thanksgiving and a spirit of encouragement.

Fill your heart with these powerful spiritual ingredients and you will find there is little room for fear generated negative emotions.

Little by little, over your lifetime journey with God, commit yourself to gradually, carefully, and faithfully cultivate Christ like control of our emotions.

Take change of your Emotions.