September 11, 2007

“The only thing we have to fear is fear it’ self” is the famous line from President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s First Inaugural Address to the nation on March 4, 1933. Our country was in the midst of the “Great Depression” and the individual/corporate “fear factor” of our citizenry was at an all time high. However, many people are unaware of the rest of that well-known quote. He went on to say that “…-nameless, unreasoning, unjustified, terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." Our fears can force us into “retreat” when we should be “advancing” with both barrels blazing to accomplish our mission. When we are seized with fear we need to learn how to “fail” like a professional. Consider the following points as you contemplate your fear.
 
Face it head on. The biggest difference that separates successful people from everyone else is in knowing how to deal with failure. I heard recently that Thomas Edison had 8,999 failed attempts to create the incandescent light bulb before he was successful. Although I haven’t been able to verify the accuracy of this information the point is still the same. Most of us give up after the first few “failures”, but working through our “failures” is how we gain experience. Proverbs 14:23 says “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” If we give up, we will “fail” to make a “profit” or in other words we will never learn from our mistakes; and if we never try we are guilty of “mere talk” which absolutely guarantees our failure. Most of our fears are totally unfounded and success is only one attempt away; while other fears can be overcome by continuing to face them in the “laboratory” of daily life.
 
Allow God time to work. God’s timing is not always our timing. In Romans, Paul wrote “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28). Bad things happen, mistakes are made and sometimes what we want is not the “best” thing for us, so God works every situation “for the good of those who love him” in spite of our understanding of the immediate situation. When we face our fears, we need to “back-off” and allow God to work, reflection kicks into gear answering many of our haunting questions; while time deals with many more. The information we gain from this process is invaluable.
 
Integrate lessons learned. The information or knowledge we acquire from our “failures” needs to be integrated into the fabric of our being so we are prepared to “advance” and not “retreat” when we are “seized with fear” in the future. Proverbs 3:13-14 states “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she (wisdom & understanding) are more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.” These “lessons” give us confidence that with God’s help we can “…do everything through Him who gives (us) strength.” (Philippians 4:13). They also provide us with experience that we can share with others who are struggling with the same things.
 
Look forward to the next opportunity. Knowledge is powerful but it needs to be applied to be effective. The more we use “what we know”, the more we become comfortable with “what we know” and the more comfortable we are in using “what we know” the further we are able to “advance”, not “retreat” in achieving our personal quest! In Philippians 4:6-7 it says, “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 Christ Jesus.” This “peace” serves only to increase our ability to face our fears.
 
Everyone has some area of their life that is “seized with fear”. It may not be totally debilitating, but it does limit our success. We are masters at disguising it, building up emotional walls that keep our “fears in” as well as keeping “help out” and/or we give ourselves “positive mental mantras” to cope with our fears without dealing with the core issues. Check your pulse, check it again and determine to “advance” in the face of your fears and if necessary “FAIL” like a professional.  
 
Del Brixey
“Overcoming Fear, One Seizure at a Time”
 
CHALLENGED TO THE CORE
P.O. BOX 414
LAKE ARROWHEAD, CA 92352-0414