Once upon another time in Ecuador, classmates had a phobia of the little eight-legged reminders that evil has corrupted this world. In the safety of my own room, I gave the beasts a wide berth. But among my peers a bigger fear reigned: admitting weakness. So I feigned courage as the designated squasher when all the guys had gone off and every girl was arguing over who would check the rooms for creepy, crawling terrors.

On the other hand, those who already know me well enough to disbelieve my fake bravery are more accustomed to the sound of screaming and stomping in the shower when anything else moves in there. I’m not afraid of these people or what they think of me so I’m rather free to exhibit my fear of arachnids with full gusto.

My fear of spiders seems directly proportional to my fear of people’s thoughts of me.

But I’ve been learning fear is always proportional. How we measure our fears matters.

As a freelance writer, I work from home. Previously, my office was a little room with a sharply pitched roof and a solitary window. It was tacked on top of what was once a garage and the insulation was so lacking that at times it was warmer to walk in the snow or cooler to go sit out in the shade. Still, it was (mostly) charming.

Too often though, as I worked, I discovered spiders an inch from my nose. They bungee jumped from the ceiling and it seemed I was their target.

Because I work from home, I was usually alone when their escapades occured. Since my arachnophobia corresponds to my fear of other’s thoughts, that was a dilemma.

I had no one to call for immediate rescue.

I also had no one to prove myself to by faking bravery.

To decide between paralysis and action, I needed something new to measure my fear against.

The pickings were slim.

If I weighed my fear of spiders against my fear of missing deadlines, the competition was close. If I weighed my fear of valiantly relocating or crushing spiders against my fear of allowing them to run free, the answer was clear: they’d learned to parachute onto my head! There was no telling what more they might do!

The real secret to actionable courage, it seems, is finding a bigger fear.

“Fear of the Lord,” Proverbs 9:10 says, “is the beginning of wisdom.”

God backs up this claim.

When God called the Israelites to courage in the face of fearsome enemies, he offered no encouragement that they were strong enough or brave enough. Instead, God directed them to someone more fearsome than their enemies: himself. God’s response to our fears is the same.

He stands beside our fears and invites us to compare the proportions.

My tactic for courage in the face of eight-legged risks and two-legged threats has changed. I’m starting to measure them against the God I revere. Not surprisingly, God always proves mightier.

Fearing God makes other fears seem foolish.
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That proportionate perspective, to me, makes sizing up life’s spiders much less intimidating!

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What’s your fear factor?

Mine is the fear of the unknown in regards to my children’s future.  I have a friend who is very afraid of spiders, and another who is afraid of heights.  I also know someone who is afraid of being alone.

Fear is an emotion.  When it is in balance with our mind, body, and spirit, it is good and can be used in a healthy way to protect us from danger.

When it is out of balance, however, it can be paralyzing.

When the emotion of fear overwhelms us as individuals, it usually stems from not being able to control a certain aspect of our life, and/or fear of the unknown.

So, as Christians, how do we put fear in its’ place and balance this emotion so that we do not have to live in bondage to it?   God’s Word gives us some great answers!

Recognize daily that God is large in comparison to our fears:

Ephesians 3:14-21 – for this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Trust God and walk in courage through fear:

Proverbs 3:5 – Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him and He will direct your path.

Read the Story of Esther in the Bible:

Esther was a common woman who was obedient to God and walked in courage through her fears.  Because of this she saved her people.

Remember to claim the power of the Holy Spirit that resides in you:

2 Timothy 1:7 – For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

Read Psalms 91 out loud to yourself daily (here is portion of it):

This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
    he is my God, and I trust him.
For he will rescue you from every trap
    and protect you from deadly disease.
He will cover you with his feathers.
    He will shelter you with his wings.
    His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies in the day.
Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
    nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
 Though a thousand fall at your side,
    though ten thousand are dying around you,
    these evils will not touch you.

(verses 2-7)

Acknowledge daily that God is in control. Daily bring your needs to Him and lay your burdens down at His feet to find peace and rest:

Philippians 4:6-8 – Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷ Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.   And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Finally, practice, practice, practice!!!

Philippians 4:9 –  Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

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