Moving Up Higher By Joyce Meyer The Anatomy of Fear Fear. We’ve all experienced it. It’s that unsettled feeling you get in your stomach. It’s the panic that can overtake you with no notice at all. Everyone is afraid of something. After all, we’re human. In fact, according to a recent study by the National Institute of Mental Health (“The Numbers Count: Mental Disorders in America”), 19.2 million American adults age eighteen and over are scared of something specific. A popular television show actually challenges contestants to face their fears in extreme ways—lying down in aquariums filled with spiders or snakes, jumping out of helicopters or eating live worms or insects. It’s certainly not my idea of a good time, but most of the people who participate probably aren’t doing it for a good time either. They’re just trying to win the cash prize. Life experiences often bring fear into the picture, and if you’re going to be successful in life, you’re going to have to learn how to handle fear. Fear torments and stands in the way of your success. When it’s time for you to be bold and aggressive, fear causes you to shrink back or hide and be cowardly or timid. Fear is a thief that can steal your destiny. The only attitude you should have toward fear is “I will not fear!” Be firm in your resolve that you will not allow fear to rule your life. There is far too much at stake to have a light attitude toward this huge problem. I’ll bet that if you took a close look at the problems you are currently experiencing, most of them have something to do with being afraid. Think about it… Your worries come from fear. Most of the control issues we have come from fear. When we let others control us, it’s because of fear. People who are afraid of being poor often become greedy or stingy. People who are scared of being alone will develop wrong or harmful relationships with others. The list goes on. But if you can conquer your fears, you will be well on your way to becoming a much more confident, healthy person. I once heard a story of a village where all the children were told not to go to the top of the mountain because of a terrible monster. The children had been told this for generations, and therefore, everyone in the village believed this to be true and was scared to ever climb the mountain. One day some brave young men decided they were not going to be afraid of this monster any longer and would climb the mountain to confront it. So they loaded their packs and started off on their journey. Halfway up they heard a huge roar. It was so frightening that half the young men were overcome with fear and hurried back down the mountain. The other half continued their climb. After climbing only a little further up the mountain, they finally saw the dreaded monster and noticed that it was much smaller than they expected it to be. But when it roared, many were still afraid, and all but one young man ran back down the mountain. The one remaining climber said to himself, “I am going to get that monster no matter what!” and he took another step toward it. As he did, the monster shrank. Now it was only as big as the young man. As he continued to approach, the monster continued to shrink until the young man was so close the monster actually fit in the palm of his hand. The young man confronted the monster and asked, “Well, who are you?” The monster replied in a tiny, high-pitched voice, “My name is Fear!” This story gives an accurate description of how fear works. It always seems so monstrous and horrible until you begin to confront it. And the more you confront it, the smaller it becomes. If you follow God’s plan for conquering fear, you will find that whatever frightened you the most was really no big deal. Remember, if you confront your fears, you can master them. For more on this topic, you may order Joyce’s 272-page book, The Confident Woman, which is available by calling 1-800-727-9673 or visiting www.joycemeyer.org . Author/teacher Joyce Meyer has been helping people overcome life’s problems through biblical keys to practical Christian living since 1976. Her radio and television programs are broadcast throughout the United States and much of the world. For additional information, you may contact Joyce Meyer Ministries at P.O. Box 655, Fenton, Missouri 63026 or visit www.joycemeyer.org.