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of knowledge and lack of wisdom.
The cause of these abnormal wor–
ries and fears lies in inadequate rec–
ognition and control of emotional
problems we experience in matura–
tion. Domineering parents, inconsid–
erate fathers, overpossessive moth–
ers, family jealousies and arguments,
fussy grandparents-these created
most of our emotional problems. But
the fundamental cause of our fears is
our failure to recognize and solve
these emotional problems.
Let 's understand why emotional
disorders lead to physical disorders.
There is a direct mind-body rela–
tionship in every individual. We
must direct and coordinate both
mind and body before we can really
achieve happiness and conquer our
fears. Solomon understood this
problem when he wrote, "A sound
heart is the life of the ftesh; but
envy the rottenness of the bones"
(Prov. 14:30). And again, "Better
is a dinner of herbs where !ove is,
than a fatted calf with hatred"
(Prov. 15:17, RAV).
There is a direct connection of
digestion and health with the mind.
When the mind is fearful, it sends
out messages to the various glands
and organs to be prepared for dan–
ger. The organs fill the , blood–
stream with materials to enable us
to act to meet the danger. When we
procrastinate or are indecisive, our
body becomes filled with unused
material. Our glands are needlessly
drained. Constant self-induced
fears soon cause the glands to func–
tion abnormally. Our whole body
suffers, and with it the personality
and even the mind.
Unconquered fears are the cause
of a major portion of diseases. Of
course, proper food habits, proper
exercise and elimination also play a
part in overall health-both mental
and physical.
When our bodies become filled
with toxins that should have been
used up in action to meet real dan–
gers, we find ourselves nervous and
upset. People often say, "It's my
nerves." Nerves are not wrong. We
need nerves to function by. It is what
we have done to our nerves that is
the problem. We have frayed them
through overuse arising from uncon–
trolled fears and worries. We have
turned the nerve mechanism created
for self-protection into a power-
20
fui weapon for self-destruction.
The Fear-plagued Mind
When once we have created physi–
cal disorder in our body, the imagi–
nation begins to play tricks on us.
Our imagination should be utilized
to create new and better ideas.
It
is
an instrument for progress. Instead,
we let our imagination frighten us
with new and added fears. We
imagine we are suffering from indi–
gestion, then ulcers, then cancer.
Sometimes we imagine ourselves
suffering from a nervous break–
down or mental derangement. Life
becomes frightful.
Horrifying dreams begin to
affiict us. Most dreams come from
an overworked mind. Daily prob–
lems weigh us down as we seek rest
at night. We don't know how to
relax. Solomon said, "For a dream
cometh through the multitude of
business" (Eccl. 5:3).
Since the conscious business with
which so many have been occupied is
that of creating new fears and wor–
ries, is it any wonder that a blood–
engorged brain will recreate these
same fears in dreamsi
When the state of mental worry
takes a severe form, dreams and
premonitions build up the fear of
death-and usually cause prema–
ture death. Most of the world is
enslaved by this dreadful fear! This
fear wrecks mental balance and
poisons the body.
It
creates spiri–
tual misconceptions that sometimes
exert themselves in religious perse–
cution. Persecution is a release
valve for pent-up spiritual frustra–
tions, fears and the sense of self–
condemnation. But persecution
doesn' t solve the problem.
The Way of Escaping Fears
Once we recognize these un–
founded fears that we need to bat–
tle, we must find the right way to
conquer them. Psychological self–
deception won't help.
For example, it doesn't really do
any good to tell ourselves that
death is not really an enemy-that
it is a good friend. Such autosug–
gestion doesn't change the fact that
death is a mortal enemy. The way
to solve this fear- and to solve
every unnecessary fear- is to rec–
ognize what it really is.
Death is an enemy (1 Cor.
15:26). But Jesus Christ has made
a way to escape its eternal conse–
quences. " ... our Savior Jesus
Christ, who has abolished death
and brought 1ife and immortality to
light through the gospel" (II Tim.
1:10, RAV). "For God did not give
us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of
power and love and self-control"
(verse 7, RSV) .
But how do we lose the dread of
death-and of all the other fears
and worries that haunt us?
Remember, the first lesson we
learned is that we need to recognize
the distinction between helpful and
harmful, uncontrolled fears. Fear
may be either right or wrong,
depending upon our direction of
this emotion. Proper fear stems
from the drive for self-preservation.
It is a signal of danger-a signa!
that we need to take action.
Proper fear is in two forms. One
is natural fear of physical danger–
the warning that we need to protect
this life. The other is spiritual fear
for our eterna) protection. This fear
almost no one recognizes. Yet with–
out it, we will never be able to con–
quer uncontrolled fear.
This spiritual fear is called the
fear of the Lord or the fear of God.
Like every other fear, it, too, has
been misguided until it has become
the fear of the devil!
The natural emotion of physical
fear warns us of physical hazards.
This is a Iearned fear. The spiritual
fear of God warns us of eterna)
dangers. lt, too, is a learned fear.
We have to learn about the power
and authority of God. We learn
that God gives life and also takes
life. That is why Jesus said, "Fear
him" (Luke 12:5).
Why ls the Fear of God
Necessary?
This age has lost this healthy respect
for God. Notice this example: "By
faith Noah, being divinely warned of
things not yet seen, moved with god–
ly fear, prepared an ark for the sav–
ing of bis household .. ." (He.b.
11:7, RAV). Noah feared the power
of God. That was a right fear-a
proper spiritual fear. But Noah
didn't let bis fear worry and frustrate
him. Noah acted on bis fear. He did
something about it!
The great importance of the fear
of God has been woefully misun-
The
PLAIN TRUTH