Fear (June Hunt Hope for the Heart) (2 page)

• Anxiety
  in the psychological/psychiatric world is the “umbrella” word covering varying degrees of worry and fear, ranging from mild to extreme.
  
• Anxiety
  is an uneasiness or distress over a threat or something unknown and is characterized by extreme worry or brooding fear.
  
• Anxiety
  stems from
  uncertainty
  —hoping something will happen, but having no guarantee that it will ... or fearing something will happen, but having no control over whether it will or not.
  
• Anxiety
  can lead to “catastrophic thinking”
  overestimating
  the likelihood of danger or a negative outcome.
  
• Anxiety
  becomes a “disorder” when it becomes so intense that it dominates a person’s thoughts, feelings, and actions, preventing the person from living a normal life.
  
• Anxiety Disorders
  :
  
  • Phobias
    
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
    
  • Panic disorders
    
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorders
    
  • Acute stress disorder
    
  • Anxiety due to a medical condition
    
  • Substance-induced anxiety
    
  • Generalized anxiety disorder
    

When the Lord gives Gideon the directive,
“Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand”
(Judges 6:14), He is not giving Gideon a pep talk or a lesson in positive thinking. Rather, He is referring to His own strength operating inside Gideon. This becomes clear with His promise,
“I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together”
(Judges 6:16).

Nevertheless, Gideon wants proof that both the message and the messenger are truly from God—and he indeed receives it.

Gideon presents an offering of meat and unleavened bread, and the moment the angel touches the offering with his staff, fire flames from the rock, the offering is incinerated, and the angel disappears—vanishes—without a trace!
“When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the L
ORD
, he exclaimed, ‘Ah, Sovereign L
ORD
! I have seen the angel of the L
ORD
face to face!’”
(Judges 6:22).

Now Gideon realizes his encounter is with
the
angel of the Lord—meaning he saw a manifestation of the Lord God Himself—not merely an angel. Gideon knew this could mean sudden death! God had told Moses,
“No one may see me and live,”
(meaning seeing God in His essential glory).
3
“But the L
ORD
said to him, ‘Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die’”
(Judges 6:23).

Fortunately, the words of the Lord prevent Gideon from experiencing profound panic. However, many do, in far less dramatic a situation, feel overwhelmed with fright—attacked with fear—and some even tremble with terror. They feel the sense of panic expressed in this Scripture:

“Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me.” (Psalm 55:5)

• Panic attacks
  are sudden, brief episodes of intense fear with multiple physical symptoms (such as heart palpitations and dizziness) but
  without any external threat
  .
  4
  
• Panic attacks
  are typically unexpected “out of the blue” experiences. The first time they occur, people are usually involved in normal activities such as walking outside. Suddenly a barrage of frightening sensations strikes them, lasting just a few seconds to a few minutes.
  5
  
• Panic attacks
  can occur again at any time. Sufferers know that just the
  fear of having another attack
  can trigger one—and so these episodes take on a life of their own.
  
• Panic attacks
  can be considered
  fear out of control
  .
  

Q
UESTION: “Can I do anything to stop a panic attack?”

A
NSWER:
Yes. When you first begin to experience shallow, rapid breathing, recognize these symptoms as the initiation of
hyperventilation
, which reduces the carbon dioxide in the blood. Such a condition produces classic symptoms of a panic attack: light-headedness, dizziness, tingling of the extremities, palpitations of the heart, feelings of faintness, and respiratory distress. However, let the onset of the rapid breathing serve as a
warning signal
. These symptoms can be stopped by using the following techniques:

• Take slow, deep breaths and hold the air in your lungs for a number of seconds. Then slowly release the air.
  
• Place the open end of a paper bag around your nose and mouth. Breathe normally into the bag, being sure to breathe in the same air being expelled.
  
• Place a blanket or sheet totally over your head. Doing so will increase the amount of carbon dioxide being taken into your lungs and ward off the frightening symptoms produced by too little carbon dioxide in your blood.
  

When experiencing a panic attack, you can feel as if you will die! But that feeling is not based on fact. The truth is:
You will not die
. Whatever your perceived “enemy,” claim this truth as you go to war against your panic attacks. The Lord says ...

“Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the L
ORD
your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” (Deuteronomy 20:3–4)

Gideon had a very real and legitimate fear that he would die, his fear didn’t go away despite God’s assurances and call on his life. Following the spectacular experience involving the offering (that the angel of the Lord incinerated), God instructs Gideon to tear down his father’s altar to Baal and cut down his Asherah pole—items of pagan worship—and build an altar to Him.

Gideon obeys, but only in the cover of night because
“he was afraid of his family and the men of the town”
(Judges 6:27). Oddly enough, God called this man to defeat an entire army—of well over 100,000—a fearful man afraid of his own family.

And while some people like Gideon experience a profound fear triggered by a particular circumstance—others experience a paralyzing fear without the slightest provocation. This
unwarranted
fear is called a
phobia
.

• Phobias
  are persistent,
  irrational
  fears of an object or a situation—but fears that present no real threat.
  6
  
• Phobia
  , the English word, comes from the Greek word
  phobos
  , which means “fear, flight or dread.”
  7
  In the New Testament the word for fear is usually
  phobos
  , which in the Greek language first had the meaning of “flight,” and then later it referred to “that which may
  cause
  flight.”
  8
  
• Phobias
  grow out of fear when:
  9
  
  • The fear is clearly
    excessive and irrational
    (being out of proportion to the actual degree of threat).
    
  • The fear is associated with
    avoidance behaviors
    (deliberately doing things differently to avoid becoming afraid).
    
  • The fear is associated with
    decreased quality of life
    (curtailing enjoyment in life).
    
• Phobic disorders
  consist of persistent,
  irrational
  fears that impair a person’s ability to function normally.
  10
  
  • If a phobia causes no major disturbance in a person’s lifestyle (such as having an excessive fear of snakes, but rarely ever seeing a snake), it is not considered a disorder.
    
  • However, a
    phobic disorder
    gains such power in a person’s life that it drives that person’s thoughts, perceptions, and actions to the point that
    the entire life is affected
    (such as a fear of darkness or of people).
    
  • Those suffering with a phobic disorder experience the most extreme form of fear.
    
  • Not only are they in a constant state of hyperalertness, but also their fear continuously controls their activities, limits their lives, and drastically diminishes their quality of life.
    

The one who suffers could easily say ...

“Fear and trembling seized me and made all my bones shake.” (Job 4:14)

While Gideon’s fear does not reach phobic proportions, the “type” of phobia a person experiences is determined by the focus of that person’s fear. There are three primary types of phobias—all of which are painfully fear-producing for the sufferer. Typically, those with phobias avoid any thought or sight of the stimulus that triggers a panic attack.

“When I think about this, I am terrified; trembling seizes my body.” (Job 21:6)

• Specific Phobias
  (formerly called Simple Phobias)
  –
  A fear of a specific object or situation
  
  • This type of phobia is marked by a persistent fear experienced in the presence of or in the anticipated encountering of the object or situation that is feared.
    
  • Examples of feared objects
    : elevators, spiders, knives, snakes, cats, fire, insects
    

    —
    Zoophobia
    is fear of animals, characterized by a sense of danger even in the presence of nonthreatening animals.
    

  • Examples of feared situations
    : flying, heights, darkness, driving over bridges or through tunnels
    

    —
    Acrophobia
    is fear of heights, characterized by a feeling of extreme insecurity and of falling even when there is no danger of doing so.
    

    —
    Claustrophobia
    is fear of closed spaces, characterized by a sense of being smothered in a confined environment.
    

• Social Phobias
  (sometimes called Social Anxiety Disorders) – A fear of embarrassment
  
  • This type of phobia is characterized by a paralyzing fear of appearing stupid or being judged as shameful in a social situation.
    
  • Examples
    : A persistent fear of social situations such as initiating and maintaining a conversation, eating in public, attending a party; also a persistent fear of performance situations such as stage fright and fear of public speaking
    
• Agoraphobia
  (literally, “fear of the marketplace”) – A “fear of fear” (when out in open spaces)
  
  • This phobia is a fear of having a panic attack out in a place where escape could be difficult or embarrassing. It comes as a result of repeated panic attacks and is the fear of having another panic attack. Therefore, any situation that could cause a sense of panic is avoided.
    
  • Example
    : Being so afraid of having a panic attack in a public place or in a strange place that a person becomes
    homebound
    or even
    room bound
    

These words reflect this paralyzing fear:

“I so feared the crowd and so dreaded the contempt of the clans that I kept silent and would not go outside.” (Job 31:34)

Time and time again, fear resides in Gideon’s heart—ready to rear its formidable head.

A vast army has gathered again, ready to raid the land at harvest time. Meanwhile, the Lord has promised Gideon total victory, and
still
he needs divine confirmation concerning his call.
“Gideon said to God, ‘If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised—look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is dew only on the fleece and all the ground is dry, then I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said’”
(Judges 6:36–37).

God exercises great patience with Gideon’s fragile faith, and the next morning His reluctant servant finds a damp fleece and a dry floor.
But wait a minute,
Gideon must have pondered,
might not that have happened naturally?
Of course the floor would dry before the fleece. So he asks God again to participate in another test, but this time to reverse the outcome—with a dry fleece and a damp floor. And “
that night God did so”
(Judges 6:40).

The fear Gideon feels is completely understandable. His enemy is real. His life is in real danger. He has “normal” fear. However, God has proven Himself to be both powerful and trustworthy. It isn’t that God doesn’t see Gideon’s situation or is denying his dilemma—God knows neither is a problem for Him—Gideon needs to know that too! No fear, normal or abnormal, is beyond God’s ability to resolve.

• Normal Fear
  

  Why would God give us the emotion of fear if it could be detrimental to us? The answer is found in asking another question, “If at this moment you were surprised by an assailant with a knife in his hand, would you want the
  benefits
  of fear?” Put a check mark (
  ) by the symptoms you would experience. Those benefits include ...
  

   
  Apprehension
  (to proceed with caution)
  

   
  Breathing increased
  (to deliver more oxygen to the body)
  

   
  Energy increased
  (to provide the fuel to take immediate action)
  

   
  Heart rate increased
  (to fuel your muscles with blood)
  

   
  Hyperalertness
  (to increase awareness of danger)
  

   
  Mind racing
  (to provide options to consider)
  

   
  Muscles contracting
  (to prepare for the “fight or flight” reaction)
  

   
  Perspiration increased
  (to cool the body down and prevent overheating)
  

   
  Pupils dilated
  (to increase vision, especially at night)
  

   
  Senses heightened
  (for the purpose of dealing with the feared object)
  

   
  Sleep lessened
  (to provide more “awake” time)
  

   
  Talking increased
  (to aid in communication about the problem)
  

• Abnormal Fear
  12
  

  When abnormal fear exists, the level of fear is way out of proportion to the actual situation—in fact, the fear may be totally unrelated to the situation. Abnormal fear can then result in a panic attack. The person with
  abnormal
  fear can identify with this anguished cry:
  “My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me. Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me. I said, ‘Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest—I would flee far away and stay in the desert’”
  (Psalm 55:4–7).
  

  A person experiences a panic attack when four or more of the following symptoms occur and reach a peak within ten minutes or less. (The body cannot sustain the “fight or flight” for longer than that time.) Place a check mark (
  ) beside symptoms you have experienced.
  

   
  Chest pain or discomfort
  (feeling like you are having a heart attack)
  

   
  Chills or hot flashes
  (feeling like you must get to the hospital)
  

   
  Choking sensation, difficulty swallowing
  (feeling like your throat is closing in on you)
  

   
  Cold hands, tingling sensation
  (feeling like you are going numb)
  

   
  Detached sensation
  (feeling like you are losing touch with reality or yourself)
  

   
  Dizziness, lightheaded
  (feeling like you are going to faint)
  

   
  Fear of losing control
  (feeling like you are going crazy)
  

   
  Hyperventilating, shortness of breath
  (feeling like you are smothering)
  

   
  Nausea, diarrhea, or abdominal pain and cramping
  (feeling like you have a life-threatening disease)
  

   
  Rapid heart rate, pounding heartbeat
  (feeling like your heart is going to jump out of your chest)
  

   
  Sweating, excessive perspiration
  (feeling like you are a huge embarrassment)
  

   
  Terror of dying
  (feeling like you are sure to die)
  

   
  Trembling or shaking
  (feeling like you are doomed)