Is Fear Good or Bad? It Depends
Proverbs 1:33
Fear can truly create a lot of problems in our lives when it gets out of control. Healthy fear is a needed protection against the dangers of our world. What is the difference?
§ Where negative emotions reign, the devil wins every time.
§ Parents who neglect to give proper example and guidance on emotional control will fail horribly in their responsibility.
§ Basic to almost all negative emotions is fear.
§ Fear can occur anywhere we sense the possibility of PAIN or LOSS.
The Spectrum of Fear
We may find ourselves preoccupied, unsettled, distracted, or worried and not realize that fear is beginning its work in us.
· Fear is an immediate and intense internal alarm system that alerts us to the presence of danger.
· Anxiety is the pervasive feeling of apprehension that lingers long after the danger has subsided.
· Phobia is a strong, irrational fear directed toward an object or situation.
· Fear can empower us for action or paralyze us and make us more susceptible to the danger at hand.
The Source of Fear
· Fear is the first emotion referred to after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden.
· Three Results of Sin
1. Death - Adam felt vulnerable for the first time.
2. Disconnection
3. Desperation
· Different people fear different things with different levels of intensity, but all of us fear what we cannot control.
The Function of Fear
· Fear as a Friend.
Ø Warning us of danger - Protection
Ø Motivating us to excel – Promotion
Ø Thrilling us - Pleasure
· Fear as a Foe
Ø Insecurity
Ø Inadequacy
Ø Self-doubt
