Good morning beautiful,
Fear is the emotion produced when things in your environment are perceived as dangerous, threatening, or harmful. When we feel threatened, it can sound off our bodies’ natural alarm system, and we enter into survival mode. The issue with our body’s natural alarm system is that there are times when our brains perceive something as dangerous when it is not. This occurs when you sense something in your surroundings that triggers your brain to believe it is harmful.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a magical cure for triggers, but there are helpful strategies to help decrease the intensity of your feelings. When you manage your responses, this silences your brain’s alarm system. You go from reacting to working through your problems, becoming more aware, and taking responsibility for your actions instead of allowing your emotions to control you.
Fear doesn’t have to rule or rob you of the promises God has spoken over your life. The Bible says in Joshua 1:9, “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Your brain alone can’t tell the difference between a threat and what is not, but with the right strategies, you can learn to respond differently and regain control of your life.
Sincerely
Your friend <3
A moment to reflect
Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.
Genesis 32:11 KjV
Jacob and Esau, since their womb days, have struggled with each other over their birthright ( read Gen. 25:21-28). God had already declared that Jacob would receive the birthright, but Jacob had to be one who lived up to his name (heel-catcher).1 He tricked his brother and his father into receiving it. As a result, it caused him to fear his life at the hands of his brother Esau, and Jacob had to flee his home. Even though he fled and escaped the physical danger, the reality of what happened never left him. For example, Jacob was deceived by Laban, exiled from his family, and his family became torn by strife.
However, after many years away from family, God commanded Jacob to return to his homeland. Returning home meant having to face his brother. Jacob, anticipating the situation he was walking into, took it upon himself to send a message to his brother to ease into the interaction. However, his plan fell through when he received the response that his brother “is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him” ( read Gen. 32: 6). Like any average person, Jacob reacted, and the responses that followed were from a place of panic ( read Gen. 32:7-8). He also leaned on his faith and attempted to pray about the situation ( read Gen. 32:9-12). Again, after praying, he tried to shower his brother with gifts ( read Gen. 32:13-21). All of these attempts still landed him in a place of fear because he was operating from a place of survival.
Jacob was human, just as we are, and all the feelings he felt were valid because, in a sense, he did have something to fear. However, he didn’t take the time to identify the best approach. He acted hastily, and in doing that, he struggled with self-awareness, taking responsibility for his actions, and he allowed his emotions to control him.
Jacob was experiencing troubling feelings, and he may even consider this moment a trial in his life. But Jacob’s story demonstrates how God will never leave you, but he may cause you to wrestle with the thing you fear because he wants you to learn to let go but also to reveal faulty character traits in you ( read Gen. 32: 24-25). God wanted Jacob to stop scheming his way out of situations.2
We must realize that change won’t happen when we rely on ourselves. If we don’t deal with the issues from our past, they will continue to bleed into our lives and cloud our judgment. God wants to answer your prayer, but before he can deliver you from what is troubling you, he must first deliver you from you.
Daily Challenge
Jacob thought the real enemy was his brother Esau, but he learned that his actual enemy was himself. What are you wrestling with? Journal the pros and cons of holding on or letting go.
- Blue Letter Bible, ” David Guzik: Study guide for Genesis 25,” accessed October 17, 2023,https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/guzik_david/study-guide/genesis/genesis-25.cfm?a=25021 ↩︎
- Blue Letter Bible, ” David Guzik: Study guide for Genesis 32,” accessed October 17, 2023,https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/guzik_david/study-guide/genesis/genesis-32.cfm?a=32011 ↩︎
