The following text was taken from Elyse Fitzpatrick’s book Vencendo Medos y Ansiedades by Editora Fiel.
I met Kathryn several years before she came to talk to me. Kathryn seemed to be a confident, hard-working, high-faith woman. Although she was shy, she obviously made real efforts to maintain friendships in our church and in the community. .
- When we started living more intimately.
- I realized problems in his life that I had never suspected.
- Kathryn said she was increasingly fearful and frightened to develop agoraphobia.
- Agoraphobia is the name commonly given to a way to respond to the life that leads to the flight of certain activities or situations.
- An agorafobo tries to avoid things like driving.
- Queuing.
- Shopping or attending meetings or social gatherings.
- And may even refuse to leave the house.
As she shared her story with me, Catherine saw how difficult it was for her to admit that she was afraid to shop at a local mall. The reason for your fear? He feared that if he stayed too far from an exit door, it could cause nausea and vomiting. Catherine’s fear had become a rope around her neck that tightened more and more and kept her tied closer and closer to home. Kathryn was experiencing the truth of Spurgeon’s Words: “Our unfounded fears are our main torturers. “
Catherine knew her fear was irrational, especially since what she was afraid of (vomiting at the mall) never really happened. Her confusion was compounded by her guilt for causing trouble for her family, and in particular her husband. She believed that her irrational fears were sinful, so she was concerned about her salvation and thought it was a disappointment to the Lord.
What was going on in Kathryn’s life?Just needed to pray or read more from the Bible?Could you find concrete answers to your problem in the Bible?What exactly was this emotion that seemed to govern it and where did those feelings come from??
In the following chapters we will examine fear, its causes and consequences in greater depth. Let’s see what the Bible says about why we are afraid and how we can overcome our fears. But first, let’s look at the physical side of this emotion. Like all our emotions, fear is felt both in our minds and in our bodies, causing intense physical reactions.
Physically, fear is a reaction to perceived danger. Because God loved us, He created us with the ability to react quickly to dangerous situations. Here’s an example: imagine you just realized that your car stops on a train track. You hear a whistle, raise your head and see a train approaching. As soon as these facts are recorded in your brain, your body automatically goes into intense activity. Your brain is warned that danger is imminent and instructs your body to quickly release a number of hormones, including adrenaline. Once these hormones are released into the bloodstream, some physical changes will occur immediately. Your muscles will stretch to prepare you for action. Your heart rate and breathing will speed up to give you more oxygen and strength. Even his vision and hearing will become sharper. Your foot will then press the throttle pedal to the ground and move faster than you ever thought possible. these changes will happen immediately, in an instant.
Whenever we are faced with danger, it is easy to see how God’s grace is revealed even in the way we were created. Physical attributes that help protect us from danger are really a nice gift, aren’t they?
God’s plan for our bodies is incredible, as Psalm 139. 14 says: “You have formed me in a surprisingly wonderful way. “God has given us these physical abilities so that we can survive in a sometimes dangerous world.
Did you notice that I said that fear is a reaction to perceived danger?I purposely defined fear this way because sometimes our mind perceives or imagines a danger that does not exist. Everyone felt the feeling of waking up from a nightmare with a beating heart and fast breathing. In those moments, the danger to which our body reacts is completely in our minds. Despite this, our body reacts as if we were facing a real threat. As you can see, do our minds affect our bodies in a very powerful way?and Kathryn recognized him.
Catherine’s fear of vomiting at the mall was irrational. Even if his fear was unfounded, his body could not distinguish between false and real alarms. He simply responded the way he was supposed to respond. It didn’t matter if the Danger wasn’t legitimate. Every time she went to the mall, she feared any physical changes she feared, and her fear made her sick and convinced her that she would probably lose control and embarrass herself. Actually, I was afraid of being afraid.
Our body not only responds to fear by preparing us to avoid or attack danger; There are also times when the chemistry of our body influences us in a more subtle way, if we are busy with several things or if we get used to living under high levels of stress, sometimes we will not notice the changes that are taking place. you won’t know what’s going on in our body until an incident happens and makes it obvious.
Fear not only affects your body and behavior, but also the opposite: if you’re a person predisposed to react with fear, you’re more likely to experience the physical symptoms of fear if you drink too much caffeine, eat too much sugar, exercise, or don’t get enough rest.
If you’re generally stressed about your responsibilities or afraid for your life, you won’t feel comfortable relaxing and probably won’t take the time to eat or exercise properly. The inability to relax or sleep healthily will increase your sensitivity to alarms. and danger, causing a greater release of adrenaline into your body, which in turn can cause even more sleep disorders. Drinking caffeine to overcome the feeling of fatigue and laziness caused by lack of sleep will only make the problem worse.
From this brief description, it is possible to see how easily fear can trigger a vicious cycle of uncontrolled thoughts, physical responses, imaginations, and careless bodily care that can serve to bring even more fear and intensify physical responses. see how the results of fear can create more fears, leading to total slavery.
Tired of fighting fear and anxiety?You are not alone These emotions are surprisingly common to many women, who fight daily in different areas of life: marriage, children, work, spiritual life and serious health problems.
God knew that fear and anxiety would be real problems for us, and He gave us abundant clear and practical help in the Bible. In this book, author Elyse Fitzpatrick will help you:
? Identify the true source of your fears; ? Look for specific strategies to overcome anxiety; ?Learn how to replace your concern with joy; ? Rest safely in God’s protective care.
Find comfort and encouragement by learning examples from other women like you, women who have discovered that it is really possible to live trusting God in all circumstances of life.
Check
By: Elyse Fitzpatrick. © Loyal Ministry. Website: ministeriofiel. com. br Extract with permission. Source: Excerpt from the book: Elyse Fitzpatrick, “Overcoming Fears and Anxieties”.
Original: Understanding How Fear Works (Part 1/3): The Physical Side of Fear. © Return to the Gospel. Website: voltemosaoevangelho. com All rights are reserved.