In his 1937 personal finance classic – “Think and Grow Rich”, Napoleon Hill maintains that, “fears are nothing more than the states of mind and one’s state of mind is subject to control and direction.” Hill identified six basic fears in life and every human being experiences these fears at some point. These fears are: fear of poverty, fear of criticism, fear of ill health, fear of loss of love of someone, fear of old age and fear of death. The symptoms of these fears manifest in our lives in different ways.
Fear of poverty manifests as over-caution, worry and doubt. Symptoms of fear of criticism include inferiority complex, self-consciousness, lack of initiative and ambition and lack of personality. Frequent drug use, faking illness and exercise excuses are some symptoms of fear of ill health while overspending, monetary theft, fault finding and jealousy are some of the symptoms of fear of loss of love of someone. Fear of old age manifests when people talk about being old and make excuses against exercise due to old age. Thinking about dying and lack of purpose are some of the symptoms of fear of death. Aside from these basic fears, other fears human beings suffer from include fear of failure, fear of time, fear of imperfection, fear of change and fear of what is next.
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
— Nelson Mandela
According to Nelson Mandela of blessed memory, a brave person is one who conquers fears. Therefore, we must take bold steps to face our fears to avoid being phased out of life. To overcome all types of fears by human efforts, you need to identify and acknowledge the fear, prepare an inventory of what you can do and be sure that you can overcome it and take action to overcome it. The Oxford Dictionary describes fear as an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm. So, aside from tackling fears from the emotional angle and because human solutions have limitations, a sustainable way to conquer fears is seeking God’s help. The reason is that God gives His children victory over all fears. When you invite Him into your life, He drives out the spirit of fear and gives you the spirit of love, power and sound mind (2nd Timothy 1:7).
“I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. (Psalm 34:4)
King David of old sought the Lord in prayers and he was delivered from all his fears. What is that fear that is almost destroying your life? Take it to the Lord in prayer and He will surely deliver you. Another way of seeking the Lord to come out of all fears is hearing, reading, meditating on and applying His Word – promises, prophecies, principles and will. His Word builds the faith of a believer to overcome all fears – “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17)
Remember, for you to receive the spirit of love, power and sound mind to live above all fears, you must accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. If you are yet to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, say this prayer of salvation: Lord Jesus, I accept that I am a sinner. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart. I receive You as my Lord and Savior and I receive Your eternal life. I believe that You came, died for me and rose again to save me. I declare that I am born again and I refuse to be conquered by fear. Amen!
By Sunday Omori
HEM Int'l 