Two Sets of FEARS
Monday, September 4, 2023
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Tim. 1:7, NKJV.
Seven-year-old Laurie, clinging to her mother's arm, eyed her pediatrician like a scared rabbit. Mother had brought her to see the doctor because she had been vomiting for the past four weeks. It had begun the day after Labor Day. The doctor was quick to discover that the day after Labor Day had been the day Laurie had started school for the first time. Thrust into a new situation that filled her with fear, she had developed an anxiety that had sent nerve impulses that tightened her stomach, causing her to vomit.
Adults also suffer from fear and anxiety, manifested by a variety of feelings. Some of the main ones we can describe by the acronym FEARS: Frustration, Envy, Anger, Resentment, and Sadness. These negative feelings cause changes in various organs in our body. They influence the amount of blood that flows to an organ. When we are embarrassed, for example, our face and neck turn red. As too much blood rushes to the head, headache may result.
Stress affects the heart. Repressed hostility has been associated with heart attacks. Also, stress can elevate the level of adrenal hormones—epinephrine and corticosteroid—which can raise the blood pressure as well as suppress the immune system. In addition, stress affects the muscles, causing neck tension and back pain, and the gastrointestinal and nervous systems as well.
To overcome stress we can use the same acronym, FEARS. F is for Faith in God—we need to trust God, who knows all our troubles. Exercise, both physical and spiritual, is crucial. We need Acceptance of ourselves and others. "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another" (Rom. 12:10). R stands for Rest—not only physical rest but also the rest Jesus is so willing to give us (Matt. 11:28). S is for Singing. When your spirit is low, take a short walk and sing a chorus such as "Jesus, loving Jesus, sweetest name I know, fills my ev'ry longing, keeps me singing as I go." We need not fear when we have Jesus.
What FEARS do you have? The first set: Frustration, Envy, Anger, Resentment, and Sadness; or the second set: Faith, Exercise, Acceptance, Rest, and Singing?
Seven-year-old Laurie, clinging to her mother's arm, eyed her pediatrician like a scared rabbit. Mother had brought her to see the doctor because she had been vomiting for the past four weeks. It had begun the day after Labor Day. The doctor was quick to discover that the day after Labor Day had been the day Laurie had started school for the first time. Thrust into a new situation that filled her with fear, she had developed an anxiety that had sent nerve impulses that tightened her stomach, causing her to vomit.
Adults also suffer from fear and anxiety, manifested by a variety of feelings. Some of the main ones we can describe by the acronym FEARS: Frustration, Envy, Anger, Resentment, and Sadness. These negative feelings cause changes in various organs in our body. They influence the amount of blood that flows to an organ. When we are embarrassed, for example, our face and neck turn red. As too much blood rushes to the head, headache may result.
Stress affects the heart. Repressed hostility has been associated with heart attacks. Also, stress can elevate the level of adrenal hormones—epinephrine and corticosteroid—which can raise the blood pressure as well as suppress the immune system. In addition, stress affects the muscles, causing neck tension and back pain, and the gastrointestinal and nervous systems as well.
To overcome stress we can use the same acronym, FEARS. F is for Faith in God—we need to trust God, who knows all our troubles. Exercise, both physical and spiritual, is crucial. We need Acceptance of ourselves and others. "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another" (Rom. 12:10). R stands for Rest—not only physical rest but also the rest Jesus is so willing to give us (Matt. 11:28). S is for Singing. When your spirit is low, take a short walk and sing a chorus such as "Jesus, loving Jesus, sweetest name I know, fills my ev'ry longing, keeps me singing as I go." We need not fear when we have Jesus.
What FEARS do you have? The first set: Frustration, Envy, Anger, Resentment, and Sadness; or the second set: Faith, Exercise, Acceptance, Rest, and Singing?
Used by permission of Health Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.
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