Deadly Distractions: Fear and Anxiety

There are many things and situations that can be fear inducing. There are numerous circumstances that can easily cause us to be anxious. Unfortunately, fear and anxiety only stop us in our tracks. No one ever made any significant contribution to humanity while they were anxious and afraid. We are anxious about what tomorrow brings, and rather than do something about it, we worry. We are afraid of a particular outcome, and therefore, we go into self-preservation mode. In other words, we become distracted.

The antidote for fear and anxiety is faith. We must have such a firm faith in who God is and what He can do that nothing or no one can shake us. That is what the Psalmist in our passage says. That because Yahweh (The LORD) is his light and his salvation, he can boldly proclaim, ‘Whom shall I fear?’ Because God is his refuge, then of whom shall he be afraid. That is the kind of attitude that we ought to have. By way of illustration, imagine this: Say you are a citizen of the US or China, would you be afraid if a country like Kenya declared war on you? Why is it then that we fail to see the magnificence of God in the midst of fear-inducing and anxiety-producing situations? Faith is what we  lack – we don’t believe that God is who He is and that He can do what He says He can do. We ought to be reminded of the words of Paul when he reminded Timothy to continue growing the gifts of God in him. Knowing that Timothy could easily be distracted, he exhorts him thus:

Your problems might be big, but have you seen your God? That situation might be scary, but do you know your God?

1. What is causing you to be anxious and afraid? Look up to God.