The Path Through Fear

Fear impacts so many of our lives in so many ways. Last week I had lunch with a leader and he shared something powerful that I am stealing and tweaking here. He knows, though, but since he stole it, I can't give him credit either. ;-)

The best response to fear (other than prayer) is vigilance!

Vigilant literally means to be watchful. Vigilance is the middle or safe road when you are facing fear. It is the center of the path through fear.

But, there are two ditches on the sides of this path:

1. Naiveté. You veer into a ditch on one side of the road if you act like there is no problem or bury your head in the sand. Some call this avoidance.

2. Hyper-vigilance. This is when you are so focused on the issue that you overcompensate. It's when you act in emotional extremes to try to fix or remove the issue creating the fear. All this does is create more problems that will later lead you back to fear again!

Instead, be vigilant. Be watchful. Do not fixate on the object of your fear. That will not take you anywhere either. Instead, be wise as a serpent, and harmless as a dove.

Naiveté is the ditch on the right. Hyper-vigilance is the ditch on the left. Stay the course straight through your fears by remaining vigilant, calm and wise.

"Don't panic. I'm with you. There's no need to fear, for I'm your God. I'll give you strength. I'll help you. I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you." Isaiah 41:10 MSG