God periodically reminds me of some important biblical principles that He taught my wife and I many years ago, related to how we are to deal with our fears and worries.  We have had many opportunities to apply these principles to our everyday lives, and have seen their value and effectiveness.  Today I wanted to share one such principle.

Lions live in groups called prides.  A pride works together as they stalk their prey.  As they secretly begin to circle an unsuspecting animal, the oldest, slowest lion (with the loudest roar) will be on one side of the circle, and the younger, faster lions will be on the other side.  When they are ready to attack, the oldest lion will begin roaring as loudly and fiercely as possible.  The prey will instinctively run away from the roar, and will unknowingly be running right into the best, fastest hunters in the pride.

Where would have been a safer place for the prey to run?  Surprisingly, the answer is directly toward the roaring lion!  That lion is slower and therefore easier to flee from.

This is a great illustration of a very important principle.  When we are facing a major challenge, it is best to face the problem and move toward it, rather than trying to run from it.  The problem will only get worse, and the outcome more serious, if we don’t face it and deal with it.  

As humans, we are prone to fears and worries.  That is why God says “do not fear” or “fear not” or “do not be afraid” 108 times in the Scriptures!  

Deuteronomy 31:6 NASB  "Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you."

Fear is not of God, nor has He given us the spirit of fear:

2 Timothy 1:7 NASB  For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

So, where does fear come from?  Our adversary, the devil. He seeks to devour believers with fear and worry:

1 Peter 5:8 NASB  Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Notice the powerful word picture in this verse?  The roaring lion is WAY less of a threat than at first we perceive it.  That is how the devil is.  He sounds powerful, but Jesus has already defeated him on our behalf.  The only power the devil has over us is what we give him.

Deuteronomy 31:8 NASB  "The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed."

So, what are some practical ways to apply these biblical principles to our fears and worries?

• Make a list of your fears.  
   
  • For each fear, list the immediate consequences that could happen.
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  • Then, for each fear, list a benefit of each possible consequence.
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  • This helps you to face each fear, and to put a realistic boundary around each fear.
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  • My wife summarizes this principle as “run to the roar.”
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  • By running to the roar, you deal with the fear before it escalates into an even more stressful situation.
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• List your worries.
   
  • For each worry, ask if that area of life is a responsibility that God has given you, or someone else.
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  • If you realize that it is a responsibility of another person, then release that responsibility to that person, and trust God with the results.
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  • This will help you to release the associated worry about that responsibility as well.
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O God, how Your ways are higher than our ways!  Your ways are in many cases the exact opposite of what our natural reasoning would tell us to do.  When I am facing fears or worries, my natural tendency is to run away from them.  Yet You remind me to trust You, face those fears, and even to run to those fears, in the power of the Holy Spirit.  God, I purpose to have as my motto “run to the roar,” as a reminder of what to do when faced with a fearful or worrisome situation.

Today, I encourage you to “Reflect on This.”