Fear and Anxiety by Rev. Jose Macías
If fear is the anguish of real or imagined imminent danger, and if anxiety is closely related to fear, why is our heart so distressed? Described in the President’s words: “We have an invisible enemy,” an enemy that is lurking around the corner. The danger is real, and in addition to this, we are being bombarded by statistics, reports and stories of the progress of this fatal and dangerous virus. There are tens of thousands who have died. It is as if we were walking on a dark road where a silent assassin that we cannot see, but has the ability to end our lives and the lives of our loved ones, lies in wait. A regrettable attitude is to ignore the warnings and put ourselves in a dangerous situation as if nothing happened. The other option is to be filled with panic and anxiety, and lock ourselves in stone and mud, becoming paralyzed. Some warning signs that anxiety and fear have taken over are that we will physically experience headaches, nausea and dizziness, excessive sweating, tremors, stomach problems, numbness and fainting, among others. Emotionally, we will have days of depression, lack of hope and will see an uncertain future; but the most dangerous thing is the spiritual implication. Fear and anxiety will replace our faith
and trust in the Lord. Anxiety contradicts faith and hope, creates doubt and uncertainty about the power of God, and anguish about leaving our family. The Bible tells us of three young Hebrews who went through the fire of trial, but in the midst of the flame, walking in the fire was a fourth man, similar to the son of the gods. The Lord did not put out the fire, but His presence was with them (Daniel 3:25). If we see our loved ones being infected, the alarming news increasing, and our hearts filling with anxiety and fear, I Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” It is a good spiritual practice to say, whenever fear knocks on the door of our heart, “He will take care of me.” In these days, we are crossing “the valley of the shadow of death.” We must say, “I will not fear any evil because you will be with me,” and “certainly goodness and mercy will follow me every day of my life,” (Psalm 23). We are also reminded in 2 Timothy 1:7: “Because God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power, love and self-control.” Reverend José Macías Flores currently pastors unreached tribal groups in Sonora, Mexico.
The Connection
WINTER 2020
7
