By Lisa S. Tarno

What is it that you fear? Do you fear death? Do you fear living? Rhetorically it seems ridiculous doesn’t it to consider the posed questions in relation to each other? Within the realms of life and death are many things that can cause fear in people. Fear is truly a four lettered word that paralyzes so many people from living fully and freely. My goal is to dismantle fears in my life and see them for the lies they truly are.

I’ve narrowed fear down to three categories so far: Rejection, Identity and Risks. Within fear of Rejection is feeling unloved, disliked, unapproved, humiliated and failing. Within fear of Identity is feeling insecure, unknown, unapproved. Within fear of Risks is fear of injury or death, the unknown, discomfort/pain, new things, being hurt or harmed and out of control, just to name a few observations. This is not a complete list of fears but a starting point to help dismantle and dissect fears.

Fear is like a dirty bomb. What’s the trigger? Who designed it and for what purpose? When it is set off the damage is far reaching and destructive. Scripture teaches that fear is the ultimate warfare of our enemy. Our enemy, whether one believes it or not does not matter, is Satan. He is the father of lies as the Bible describes him. The acronym for FEAR has been taught to many Christians as “False Evidence Appearing Real”. So then, that being the case, we have to ask ourselves why we continually get tripped up with fears. Why do we listen to a known lier?

Fear is like a hologram…it’s a PROJECTION of something FALSE!!

The beginning of unraveling all fear is to know truth. Scripture states that the truth will set you free (John 8:32). I challenge people to take what they fear and line it up with the Bible and every fear can be dispelled in light of scripture. When it comes to Rejection, the truth is that nothing can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:28-29). Another truth is positioned if God is for us who can [really] be against us? (Romans 8:31)

Rejection is another opportunity to approach the heart of God and receiveHis healing and love…everytime!

When our Identity is formed by what the world thinks, we have no choice than to be perpetually insecure. Conversely, if we believe our worth and value to the Creator God who made us and knows us from the time we were woven together in our mothers’ wombs (See Psalm 139), we are better able to handle what life throws at us because we are known, loved, valued, prized, delighted in, redeemed, cherished by the Almighty God. The truth of that identity trumps the fears of insecurity, disapproval, or feeling of worthlessness!!

“When skill is low….fear is high: When skill is high….fear is low”

Risks involving the unknown and new things create a sense of being out of control. Risks involving the propensity for injury, discomfort, being hurt or harmed are really our survival instincts to not do something stupid. Generally, we all some measure of this instinct while some have it more than others.

Fear is like a giant smokescreen that keeps us from living life to the fullest– it keeps us from taking appropriate risks when we really should– and ultimately it keeps us from trusting in a Sovereign God who has all things in His control whether it looks like it or not!

Fear is something we have to face everyday in our lives but it doesn’t have to control us. The Bible has been researched to have recorded “Do not be afraid” or “Fear not” 365 times! That’s encouragement for us everyday of each year. It’s not as if we won’t ever FEEL fear from time to time, but rather what we decide to do with it. Does fear control us or do we face our fears and step out in courage? It is helpful to remember that whatever we fear in life, God is bigger than it. Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world! 1 John 4:4