Genesis Series Part 9: Healthy/Unhealthy Fear

My husband was telling me that when he was younger he used to get sick a lot. He would fall and hurt himself a lot. He said he would often have hospital stays. He would also have convulsions or seizures at times. From his injuries like from falls and stuff he might even have scars to prove it.

That was news to me. Now, in 2018 and many years before, in all the years I've known this man, I have only seen him fall or get really sick like with a flu probably a handful of time, like 1 or 3!

I honestly think he went through all of that because Samantha (me) was in his future to come. I think he told me once before of this.  He was elaborating on this more yesterday. Yep I know right?  It took 20 years for me to find this out in its entirety.  Anyway, he was telling me it's a good thing he used to get sick a lot when he was younger because now he truly believes that all those times of getting sick made him stronger.

And, it's a good thing, because well he's with me. And, I'm like the total package of the word unhealthy. You know what I mean?  This is what his story made me think of. Don't ask why because I don't know why. I just did. Blame it on my weird mind. LOL Well, also with our One Year Bible reading as well, minus the Joe story.

Okay fear can either be healthy fear or not so healthy. Fear is an emotion we feel, why? Because we are human.  There are a bunch of things that will make us feel fear.

"It is a basic survival mechanism. It keeps us alive. It protects us from danger." (1-year Bible)

Now, there is also something called unhealthy fear. 

"The Greek word commonly used in the New Testament is phobos – from which we get the word ‘phobia’. This is unhealthy fear. It is disproportionate to the danger posed. It is ‘False Evidence Appearing Real’. It is when I catastrophise – overestimating the danger and underestimating my ability to cope. ( 1 year Bible.)

Don't tell Joe but he said he doesn't have any phobias. But, after reading the above paragraph I'm pretty sure his phobia is "messing up." Although I don't think he's scared of messing up. He just handles it differently. It is just he really gets angry. Maybe that's not phobia? LOL

To conclude, what are your thoughts about fearing God? I don't think God would like us to fear Him like in the sense of like being daily petrified of him. No. I do think that the fear should come when we think about where God would allow us to go if we do not choose to believe in him, follow him, like have a personal relationship with him.

TBC...........................

Encouraging thought of the day:

We need not fear if we know God!

Isaiah 41:13 ESV

For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Matthew 10:28 ESV

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

2 Timothy 1:7 ESV

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
TBC....