I rolled up my sleeve and looked away. The injection of immunoglobulin was going to sting, and I knew it. I knew, however, that it could prevent a battle with Hepatitis A. One of my family members had been exposed to the highly contagious disease—which karate- kicks the liver—and health authorities had recommended vaccinations for everyone in my household.
There’s an emotional ailment that can also be quite “catchy.” Fear. Moses advised his military leaders to take a pre-battle poll of the troops and ask, “Is anyone here afraid or worried?” (Deuteronomy 20:8). Soldiers who admitted their anxiety were discharged before they could scare off anyone else. The commanders wanted to prevent the panic of a few from contaminating the entire army.
When we advertise and live out our fear, it can spread to others. Parents pass phobias on to children. Friends infect other friends with superstitions. Employees alarm their co-workers when the fate of the company is in question. Fortunately, there’s a way to stop the spread of panic.
Moses prescribed this message for fearful soldiers: “Do not be afraid as you go out to fight your enemies today! Do not lose heart or panic or tremble before them!” (Deuteronomy 20:3). In other words, Be brave. Stand tall. Don’t back down, because “the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you . . . and He will give you victory!” (Deuteronomy 20:4).
The promise of God’s presence wasn’t just for the Israelites. He’s with us too, even today (Matthew 28:20). Because of that, we can say, “I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me” (Psalm 16:8). When we put this into practice, fear will lose its foothold in our lives. Friends and family may start to notice. For courage is contagious too.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Psalm 139:1-24
More:
Read Judges 7:21 to see what happened to the Midianites as a result of widespread panic. Read Psalm 59:10 for some reassurance if you’re currently facing fear.
Next:
How might you inspire a fearful person to have courage? How can awareness of God’s presence deter us from coping with fear in harmful ways?
nivla on May 17, 2012 at 5:19 am
Fear is contagious, and so are faith and courage.
So true. Thanks Jen!
jennifer benson schuldt on May 17, 2012 at 3:39 pm
nivla,
You’re welcome! 🙂
If there’s anyone reading these posts today who struggles with fear, here’s a great resource:
http://www.helpformylife.org/Products/When-Fear-Seems-Overwhelming–Finding-Courage-and-Hope-(Booklet)__CB031.aspx
tom felten on May 17, 2012 at 9:41 am
I love the apostle John’s words: “Perfect love expels all fear” (1 John 4:18). Yes, it is God’s love that allows us to move beyond our fears and walk boldly and confidently in Him!
jennifer benson schuldt on May 17, 2012 at 3:18 pm
Amen! That reminds me of another verse I love related to this topic, which is found in Zephaniah: “For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior…With his love, he will calm all your fears…” (3:17). This reminds me that His love is great enough to conquer any of our fears, regardless of the degree of them.
OnMyWayHome on May 17, 2012 at 1:42 pm
My ‘Achilles Heel’ panic attacks, after reading this I do hope I’m not scaring others.
Please pray for my attacks as they’re better yet they do return every now and then.
jennifer benson schuldt on May 17, 2012 at 3:07 pm
As a person who does not like small enclosed spaces, I can relate to the problem of occasional panic attacks. They are not fun. In my opinion, they are also not likely to influence other people, because they are often highly personal in nature. I can’t imagine my husband ever getting antsy in an elevator just because I feel uncomfortable. I think, when there’s an impending problem that many people face together, i.e., the collapse of a company, or an imminent battle, it’s more likely that fear may spread.
A favorite verse of mine related to fear involves a message that God gave to Israel through the prophet Isaiah: “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (41:10). The same God who promised this to Israel has adopted us as His children.
I will pray today that God sets you free from your panic attacks—He can do that!
yemiks1 on May 17, 2012 at 2:14 pm
“Whose fear do I have?
“The fear of ‘God’s word?’ ” “or the fear of the world’s words?” “
jennifer benson schuldt on May 17, 2012 at 3:35 pm
This is an important question to think about. Fear of man produces negative results, while the fear of the LORD yields good in our lives (Psalm 128:1-2, Proverbs 22:4).
daisymarygoldr on May 19, 2012 at 12:04 am
Who among us can claim to be fearless? Personally, I am the most fearful of all. In school I have seen fear spread among my classmates, as groups of girls used to cry before the final exams. Since I knew it would adversely affect my already weak morale, I used to avoid hanging out with such groups. In that part of the world, fear of failure sometimes leads students to commit suicide.
Once, I had to literally drag my friend to the testing center. She had caught this dreadful exam fever from others who went back home without taking the test. Don’t know how I managed to persuade her that day. Surely it was God who gave me the wisdom that encouraged her to face the finals. She did pass and successfully earned her degree.
And Jennifer, you are right; fear can be contagious. Look how it infected and killed an entire generation—who were kept them from receiving their promised inheritance. The negative reports of the fearful spies discouraged the nation of Israel. Similarly, negative thinking that says we cannot cope or it is too hard to follow God’s law and we are going to fail—demoralizes the entire church. If we hang out with fearful believers leading defeated Christian lives, then fear will keep us from possessing our spiritual inheritance.
The great Physician’s Rx for fear is faith (Matthew 8:26). Faith gives us courage and comes from hearing and believing God’s words. The spirit of fear is not from God but from the enemy who leads us to doubt God. Fear therefore comes from believing the words of the devil and is another face of unbelief in God. When we trust self and place confidence in self or anyone other than God, we live in constant fear of losing our health, our lives, our loved ones, our jobs, and our homes.
However, when we trust God and His love, it helps us develop immunity against fear. For Christians to have no fear does not mean that we feel invincible. We are simply confident that God will surely see us through the terrors of the darkest night. Also, God’s presence is among people of faith like Joshua and Caleb. Their godly wisdom will guide and encourage us during scary situations. This is how we put into practice all the precious “fear not” promises that God has given us in almost every book in the Bible.