Mental Health Awareness: Faith Over Fear

Many actors are stoking fear today. For sure, the fear of the virus is out there. But our fears are heightened by those who question the science for treating the virus. We’re denied certainty when we need it the most. Our fears are fueled by the rhetoric of law and order. Our fears extend to the health of the planet. The news shows us thousands of acres of land on fire, glaciers melting, and sea level rising. We fear that not enough is being done to address climate change. Many lives have been crushed or are on the brink of chaos. Yet people try to hold on to hope, even as their fears rise.

Fear may be useful in keeping us safe and protected. Yet, contagious fear that now swirls within and around us in our daily lives can paralyze us. Fear can keep us from sleeping well. It can keep us from supporting programs and organizations that help those in need. We turn inward, so that we do not reach out to give or receive help. Fear can keep us so upset that our own health is jeopardized. And fear can contribute to depressing thoughts and even egregious actions may be energized by these fears.

Faith over fear.  What can that mean? Faith can mean trust. The question is in what and whom can we invest our trust when fears erode our well-being? We can have faith that we will find positive energy within and around us. We can have faith that our creative drive will renew us. We can have faith in a power greater than ourselves. We can have faith that we, like others, can come through the uncertainty and anguish of these days to stand on the rock of what is true. We can have faith that “this, too, shall pass,” and that we can navigate the turbulent waters ahead. This edition of Encouragements focuses on faith over fear and offers ways to see that our fears can be addressed. Fear need not incapacitate us!

Psalm 46:1  "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble."