Some Side Effects of Fear

Matthew 6:25-34
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?  And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

I think it's pretty obvious that fear not only produces anxiety, but it also creates chaos in our lives and even affects those around us.

• Fear stifles our thinking and actions - It creates indecisiveness that results in stagnation.  I have known very talented people who procrastinate indefinitely rather than risk failure.  Lost opportunities cause erosion of confidence, and the downward spiral begins.
• Fear hinders us from becoming the people God wants us to be - When we are dominated by negative emotions, we cannot achieve the goals God has in mind for us.  A lack of self-confidence stymies our belief in what the Lord can do with our lives.
• Fear can drive people to destructive habits - To numb the pain of overbearing distress and foreboding, some people turn to things like drugs and alcohol for artificial relief.  I've seen some who have been recognized as very "strong" actually stumble and fall into addictions.
• Fear steals peace and contentment -  When we're always afraid, our life becomes centered on pessimism and gloom.
• Fear creates doubt - God promises us an abundant life, but if we surrender instead to the chains of fear, our prayers won't be worth very much.

What are we afraid of?  Is it loss, rejection, poverty, or even death?  Everybody will face such realities at one point.  Those are some of the cold hard facts of life that just can't be avoided.  But is there a need to fear?  All we need to know is that God will never reject us.  Whether we accept Him in these times is truly our own decision.

The Bible tells us that God will meet all our needs.  He feeds the birds of the air and clothes the grass with the splendor of lilies.  How much more, then, will He care for us, who are made in His image?  Our only concern is to obey the heavenly Father and leave the consequences to Him.

Be Blessed!