Fear and anxiety: A choice

During a debrief session I had with my mentor Tim Olonade, on returning from Sudan,  he asked me, “What do you fear about
your work in Sudan today?” My response was not well thought out. I simply
answered- Nothing. As I chewed on that very question, I have since noted several things I’m anxious about in relation to my mission in Sudan. I’m surprised to see that some are so unnerving that I don’t even want to discuss them.

One major cause for apprehension is- war. I totally dread another
outbreak of war in Sudan (who would not). But what about the fear of suspicion?
What of the fear of falling out with partners or team mates? What of the fear of being forgotten? The consequences
of these possibilities are grave, with the first rather unfathomable. Though
the fear of another war somehow fuels my motivation to return there and
continue plowing at the vision; the thought of having to run for my life through
the bushes as a result of any fracas is never a savory one. 
All the same, choosing
to take advantage of the relative peace we enjoy there now to connect with the people,
offering them the blessings of salvation in Christ and teaching followers of
Jesus how to obey Him, is a great privilege I won’t trade for anything.

You can’t read far in
the Bible without encountering fear. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture is
awash with examples. In every circumstance though, one principle is consistent:
God wants to be trusted with every detail of our lives, especially with those
unknown elements that provoke fear. Our resolve to serve God and seek His will
despite the fears, worries and anxieties of life is a testament to His
faithfulness and unchanging purpose.

As I meditate on
anxiety and ask questions about its meaning and workings, I imagine that like fingerprints, everyone has their own brand of anxiety, ranging from vague
feelings of dread occasioned by various handicaps, to paralyzing fears of loss
or of discovery of personal secrets.

Fear is a normal part
of the human experience, even for Christ’s disciples. Paul reminded the Corinthians, “I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.” (ICor2:3) On the healthy side, fear
is a God-given ability to detect and deal with a dangerous threat. A little
anxiety may also stimulate thinking and problem-solving. But exaggerated fear
and anxiety often disrupts our lives, drains our spiritual strength, clouds our
judgment and robs us of the joy-filled life that we should enjoy in Christ.

Anxiety may stem from
unconscious feelings which may go undetected and thus never be confronted. But worry is a conscious
act of choosing an ineffective method of coping with life’s issues. Worry
suggests the absence of trust in God. Scripture instructs us not to worry.

Procrastination and
avoidance of an uncomfortable issue creates most of the problems associated with
anxiety. Though these twin strategies bring temporary relief, they both promote
and compound anxiety in the future.

“What am I
avoiding? How? Why am I putting this off?” “Why am I hiding
this?” When you ask yourself these kinds of questions, be prepared for
some internal resistance, a mini war, which I pray you don’t win. May
everyone who engages these questions be overcome by them deeply enough to seek
sincere solutions. It’s difficult to understand and accept that sometimes the
very things we’re doing for relief could be causing or complicating our fears
and heightening our anxiety.

Consider these words
of wisdom from Chuck Swindoll:  

“Stop reading
only the grim sections of the newspaper. Watch less television and start
reading more books that bring a smile instead of frown. Locate a few
acquaintances who will help you laugh more at life. Ideally, find Christian
friends who see life through Christ’s eyes, which is in itself more
encouraging. Have fun together. Affirm one another.”

It’s our choice. We
can allow fear and anxiety to make us their victims or we can defy them by deepening our dependence on God as we prayerfully follow Him.

Unknown's avatar

Author: Uche Izuora

I'm inspired by God’s passion for His name in every generation, which provokes global worship through Jesus Christ. Becoming an emotionally healthy and transformative disciple, I aim to mobilize the Church to engage in cross-cultural missions and raise other like-minded disciples who discover themselves in Christ and seek to present and represent Him as Savior and Lord among the nations northward of Uganda.

7 thoughts on “Fear and anxiety: A choice” 

  1.             There are two things modern Christians don't want to talk about - fear and doubt. Both determine our level of divine assurance and dependence on God. Uche, you recall my giggle that day when your answer to that question was initially emphatic. But as you process the passion of God to have Himself celebrated, loved and worshiped all across the globe, you will settle with the challenge of our vulnerability in this extremely hostile and godless world. Does that remind you of being sheep among the wolves! Only a God like ours could tame the wolves and safe the sheep, and birth the lambs!!!

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  2.             What a beautiful write up. I guess part of the problem is that we rarely comfront ourselves so that our fears will show up. The effect is that we go about exagerating our boldness untill certain realities show up to reveal how much we desperately need the courage of the lion of the tribe of Judah even when our fears want to paralise us. I was humbled after a brush with armed bandits(robbers) few years ago. Up till then I never new that there is a level of fear resident in my soul that was quite disturbing. That day, In the company of a friend of mine( both of us are preachers), our car turned into a side street one night at Onitsha, Nigeria only to come face to face with a bunch of trigger happy hoodlums fully armed and in a robbery operation. Till date I can't explain how we both jumped out of the car and what happened to my wrist watch in the process. Ours fears showed up and what was left was a desperate cry for help to God. I came out of that experience seeking God to deliver me from numbing fears no matter the situation. Thank you bro.

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  3.             Good morning from very cold Minnesota USA! We have lots of snow here and more to come we are told. Thanks for the words of wisdom. Dwight, our daughter, Rachel and I will travel to South Africa next week. We will visit the places our daughter ministered at, we will worship with the youth and believers at the church fellowship there. We will spend time at the departure site along the road. We will again, trust God to take care of our hearts and walk thru hard things,knowing HE loves and cares about us. Thanks for the prayer support as we enter this challenge.

    blessings to you and your family,
    Peggy Buller..Sarah’s mom

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  6.             thank you. as He often does, God uses your words to speak to me... also I am sharing this with a friend as we discussed this topic yesterday and I have been praying about how to encourage her.

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  7.             Great words, uche... I remember a single gal who ministered in the most dangerous prison in Medellin, Colombia where there used to be at least one murder a day - telling me countless stories of narrow escapes from death and gang crossfire. She was so calm - I asked her if she ever got worried and she said, Oh safety is not the absence of danger; it is the presence of the Lord.   She and some other volunteers turned Bella Vista into a wonderful place where prisoners have their own radio program broadcasting God's Word and his teaching to the community.   Rock on in Sudan, brother ...

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