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How to Overcome the Power of Fear


Guest Post by: Marcia Brandhorst

Fear! What is fear?

Merriam-Webster defines fear as, “An unpleasant, often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger.” “An anxious concern”, “Reason for alarm” and my favorite, “Profound reverence and awe.” It can be debilitating and can feel as impending doom for so many.

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.”

We all face fear from time to time. There are many things we fear. There’s the fear of flying, the fear of losing our job and not being able to support our families. Children fear failing a test or disappointing their parents. Parents fear that their children will get hurt or will make bad decisions. We fear that someone will take the things that we have worked so hard to acquire. These are just a few of the many fears that we face daily, not including the major fears that we can’t escape in our world today and in the media. Fear seems to be more and more prevalent and it seems to be everywhere. Life situations are tough and sometimes it feels like the longer we live, the tougher they get.

I have found that there is only one real way to overcome my fears. And that is to go to the One who has power over everything and everyone. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

After many years of working my way up through county government, God opened the door for me to fulfill my dream, the dream that He had put in my heart from the beginning. He led me to the medical field. I love helping others and this job was the perfect opportunity to do just that. I deal with sick people every day. God has allowed me the opportunity to be there for some of these patients and their families in what may very well be, their last days. I try to be a beacon of light for God to these patients and their families through these tough times and try to let God shine through me. Although I try to be His Hands and Feet, he also teaches me a lot through these situations.

Recently, I had one patient who really made me reflect on fear. This patient was very sick. He had been through a lot lately and just recently had bypass surgery but was doing great. He went to a doctor’s appointment last week – got a good report, then stopped in a small-town restaurant to get a bite to eat and a few hours later, he was running 104 degree fever and was barely alert. I will never forget what he said to me that day.

I was making small talk with him and said, “Wow, you’ve just had all kinds of surgery, haven’t you?” He looked at me and said, “Yea, but I’m about to ‘kick the bucket’ this time.” I smiled and said, “Oh no, we’re not going to let you do that yet.”

I left the hospital that day, wondering what happened to him. I think of him often and wonder;
What was he feeling?
Was he scared?
Did he have this ‘fear’ we all feel?
Or did he have the peace that God gives freely, if we just ask?
Unfortunately, I’ll probably never know. But it did make me do a lot of thinking.

We must have power over fear. How do we get it?

  1. Speak it down. Fear loses its power over us when it’s brought out into the light. It tends to hide in darkness – at night, in our quiet thoughts. Sometimes, we keep it bottled up. For fear will come into fruition if we speak it. Tell it off! I have been known to shout out at my fear, “No weapon formed against me will propser!”
  2. Talk it out. Talk to a small group, to God, to a close friend, to a counselor. This minimizes fear’s grasp on you.
  3. Give it up. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV)

God never breaks a promise, so we can depend on Him always, no matter what. He has already gone before us.


Note: I am not a medical physician and patients should consult their physician with any changes to their meds/healthcare.