MONDAY MANNA
A service to the business community
May 22, 2006

EXACTLY WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF – AND WHY?

By: Robert J. Tamasy

Fear. This emotion seems to dominate our world today. We fear world health issues – bird flu, AIDS, plagues and virulent viruses. The rise of global terrorism holds us in a state of constant anxiety. Stock market performances plummet on fears generated by news of what could possibly happen in key industries. We fret about the potential for catastrophic economic collapse. The threat of global warming brings chills down our spines. We fear for the security of our jobs, or the long-term future of our businesses in the face of rapid, unpredictable and sometimes drastic changes.

Fear also becomes very personal. We fear growing old, and dying. If we have histories of family health concerns, such as heart disease or cancer, we are afraid of those, too. We fear that something dreadful may happen to ones we love. Decades ago, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt stated, “There is nothing to fear but fear itself,” but most of us seem to disagree.

Entire industries have discovered that fear is good for business: We buy disability and long-term health care insurance, fearful that disabling injuries or lengthy illnesses could ruin us financially. We purchase specialized property insurance to safeguard against the loss of valued possessions. Radio commercials market high-tech communications systems that can provide rapid response in the event of an emergency while traveling in our vehicles, such as a collision, health crisis, even something as simple as locking our keys in the car.

Certainly, we are wise to exercise caution in our daily activities. And anticipating possible difficulties and challenges is part of good business planning. But living in a state of continual fear exposes us to constant stress that our minds and bodies don’t want or need. How, then, can we avoid – or at least minimize – fear when the world we live in is such a scary place? At times like this, faith is a valuable resource.

“Faith in what?” you might ask. We have learned that faith in ourselves, our abilities, our families and friends, even our companies, will let us down. That is why an overriding message of the Bible is that everything in our lives eventually will fail us except one – God. Consider just a few of the things it says about God, and fear:

God is always with us, no matter what. Like an ever-present friend, God promises to stand by us in good times and bad, poised to come to our aid. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

Nothing can separate God and His followers. Many of us have suffered shipwrecked marriages, lost jobs, and had friends turn their backs on us. But God promises never to sever His ties with those who believe in and follow Him. “For I am convinced that neither life nor death…neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

Trust in God reduces fear of the unknown. Believing God is control of our circumstances, and that we can turn to Him in times of need, is a great antidote for fear. “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid” (Psalm 27:1).

Don’t harbor your fears; pass them on. One of the paralyzing elements of our fears is that we often feel we must deal with them alone – and that pressure can be crushing. God asks us to turn them over to Him. “Cast all your anxiety on him (God) because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

CBMC INTERNATIONAL: Robert Milligan, President
1065 N. 115th Street, Suite 210 ▪ Omaha, Nebraska 68154 ▪ U.S.A.
TEL.: (402) 431-0002 ▪ FAX: (402) 431-1749 ▪ E-MAIL: mmanna@cbmcint.org
Web site: www.cbmcint.org Please direct any requests or change of address to: nbrownell@cbmcint.org


Reflection/Discussion Questions

1. Do you consider yourself a fearful person? Why or why not?

Do you know any other people who seem to live in constant state of fear and anxiety? Describe them.


2. Even people who are not generally fearful have some things that concern them to a significant degree. What are some things that bring fear or anxiety into your mind when you think about them?


3. Do you believe that faith is truly a resource for overcoming fear, or do you regard it as merely a crutch for weak people, individuals who are not strong enough to cope with life on their own? Explain your answer.


4. Do any of the Bible passages above strike you as particularly meaningful or significant? If so, which one(s) – and tell why?


NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to consider more of what it says about God and fear, here are some additional passages on the topic:

Psalm 66:16-20; Proverbs 29:25; Isaiah 35:3-4; Luke 12:32; Philippians 4:6-7; 2 Timothy 1:7;1 John 4:16-18




你到底害怕什麼－－為何害怕？

恐懼，這情緒似乎佔據了我們今日的世界。我們害怕世界的健康問題－－禽流感、愛滋病、瘟疫、惡性病毒。全球恐怖主義的興起，更讓我們常在焦慮狀態中。主要工業可能發生問題的新聞一出現，股市就因恐慌而狂跌。我們因經濟可能災難性的崩潰而煩躁。全球氣候暖化的威脅，使我們背脊都冷起來。我們害怕工作不保。我們害怕在許久之後，我們的事業會面對快速、不可預測的改變。

恐懼也可能非常個人。我們怕老、怕死。我們若有家族病史，例如心臟並或癌症，這些也會令我們感到害怕。我們害怕可怕的事會發生在我們所愛的人身上。幾十年前，美國總統富蘭克林‧羅斯福說：「除了害怕本身，沒什麼事好害怕。」但我們大多數人似乎不同意他的話。

整個工商業界已發現，恐懼對商業有好處：我們購買殘障和長期健康保險，害怕受傷導致殘障或長期生病會摧殘我們的財務狀況。我們購買特別的產物險，以保障我們值錢財物遺失的危險。收音機裡的廣告，促銷高科技通訊器材，使我們在開車時若遇緊急狀態，如撞車、身體突感不適，甚至簡單到車鑰匙留在車內，而我們被鎖在車外，都可以迅速因應。

當然，我們可以有智慧地在每天行事中小心謹慎，並且良好的企業會預期可能有困難與挑戰。但持續在恐懼狀態下，會使我們的頭腦和身體有不想要和不需要的壓力。但是，當我們所住的世界是這樣一個可怕的地方，我們要如何避免－－或至少減低－－恐懼。在這時刻，信心是一項寶貴的資源。

你可能會問：「要相信什麼呢？」我們已學會對自己、自己的能力、家人、朋友、甚至公司有信心。但這些都可能讓我們失望。這就是為什麼聖經裡的一個重要信息是：我們生命中的每個人事物最後都會讓我們失望，除了神之外。請思想以下有關神和恐懼的事：

無論如何，神總是與我們同在。就像一位永遠陪在身邊的朋友，神應許無論順境、逆境，都會在我們身邊，隨時給予幫助。「你不要害怕，因為我與你同在；不要驚惶，因為我是你的神。我必堅固你，我必幫助你，我必用我公義的右手扶持你」（以賽亞書41章10節）。

沒有任何事能將神和祂的跟隨者隔絕。我們許多人可能遭遇破碎的婚姻、失業、遭朋友背叛。但神應許絕不會切斷與相信並跟隨祂之人的聯繫。「因為我深信無論是死、是生、是天使、是掌權的、是有能的、是現在的事、是將來的事、是高處的、是低處的、是別的受造之物，都不能教我們與神的愛隔絕，這愛是在我們的主基督耶穌裡的」（羅馬書8章38-39節）。

倚靠神可降低對未知的恐懼。相信神掌管我們的環境，並且在需要的時候，我們可向祂求助。這就是治療恐懼的特效藥。「耶和華是我的亮光，是我的拯救，我還怕誰呢？耶和華是我性命的保障，我還懼誰呢？」（詩篇27篇1節）

不要隱藏恐懼，要將它疏發出來。我們恐懼的一個僵化點是，我們常常覺得要獨自面對－－這壓力可能會壓垮我們。神要我們把恐懼卸給祂。「你們要將一切的憂慮卸給神，因為祂顧念你們」（彼得前書5章7節）。


思想 / 討論題目
1. 你認為自己是容易害怕的人嗎？ 為什麼？

你知道某人常常在恐懼和焦慮的狀態中嗎？ 請形式他/她的狀況。


2. 即使人們不害怕，有些事還是會讓他們擔心。有那些事是當你一想到就害怕或焦慮的？


3. 你是否相信：信心真的是戰勝恐懼的資源？ 或者你認為那只是軟弱之人的柺杖，因那些人不夠強壯，無法自行因應生活中的難處？ 請解釋。


4. 文中所列的經節中，是否有某一節對你特別重要、有意義？ 若有，是那一節？ 為什麼？


註：若你有聖經且想要看有關神與恐懼的其他經文，請看：
詩篇66章16-20節；箴言29章25節；以賽亞書35章3-4節；路加福音12章12-32節；腓立比書4章6-7節；提摩太後書1章7節；約翰壹書4章16-18節