Worry-phobia

Have you heard the word Worry-phobia? Maybe not and I hope you're
not into it. Below is a nice article about phobia and bible verse to
meditate on. The message struck me hard and I thank God for
rebuking me.

Hope you'll like it...!

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear
again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which
we cry out, "Abba! Father!"
Romans 8:15

The word "phobia" comes from the Greek word for fear, phobos. One
of my college psychology professors explained a phobia as an
irrational fear of something that can potentially be harmful.
Arachnophobia, the fear of spiders, for example, is an abnormal
fear of spiders. Spider bites can be deadly, but most spiders are
harmless and if a person gets bit by one, the chances of it being a
lethal bite are minimal.

Still, a person who suffers from this phobia, like me, can't be
told to "not worry" when they see one of those eight-legged
monsters. When I see a spider, the blood drains from my face, I
can't move... actually, all I can do is scream until someone comes to
rescue me. I'm not kidding. I, a grown adult, have been known to
stand on top of a table and scream until my mother, yes, my mother,
comes and gets rid of the disgusting arachnid.

I am very, very, very afraid of spiders... but truthfully, my phobia
issues don't end there. Everyone has their "issue." My issue, my
vice, my weakness, and my greatest struggle, can all be summed up
in one word: "fear."

Out of curiosity, I recently decided to see if there was a phobia
for a generalized fear of everything. There is. It's called
panphobia (or pantaphobia), and is simply defined as a fear of
everything.

As I researched panphobia, I learned that this is more than the
every day worrywart sort of fear. It's a medical condition that is
persistent, debilitating, and very difficult to treat. It's related
to the paranoia typically found in Schizophrenics. After
discovering this, I quickly decided that I don't have panphobia.

I realized that I'm not necessarily afraid of everything, I just
worry about everything - and in case you're wondering, the
definition for the Greek word for worry (merimnao) has more to do
with an anxious concern than a debilitating fear.

I'm one of those people who worry even more if there isn't anything
to worry about. I guess that would be called something like
"Worry-phobia" - a fear of having nothing to worry about. Yes, I
worry about those people I love, but I also worry about the
starving parentless children on other side of the globe that I will
never meet. I get worried when it rains one day too many or if too
many days pass without a drop.

Okay, I'm exaggerating... a bit, but you get my point. The thing is
God doesn't call worry panphobia or worry-phobia, He calls it sin.

For me it is about control, and when I don't feel like I have
control, I worry. It is certainly something God is continually and
persistently working on in my life. He has been teaching me to
trust Him through some painful and scary circumstances lately.

I know I'm not alone in the journey toward freedom from worry, so
I'm going to share some helpful scripture with you. The following
verses declare that His truth is greater than any
worse-case-scenario or real-life-circumstance we can encounter.

"Do not be afraid of them; the LORD your God himself will fight for
you." (Deuteronomy 3:22)

"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will
never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be
discouraged." (Deuteronomy 31:8)

"Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will
fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of
your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable
than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:29-31)

"Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him." (Matthew 6:8b)

"Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
(Hebrews 13:6b)

"Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living
One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I
hold the keys of death and Hades." (Revelation 1: 17b, 18)

Isn't it great that God doesn't tell us to do something without
equipping us to do it first! Through His Word, He encourages and
prepares us to face the world, which is after all, can be pretty
scary place... especially with all of those blasted spiders!

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly
to give you the kingdom." (Luke 12:32)