How Fear Can Sabotage Your Health
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
In 2018 I met my match with fear as I was unexpectedly faced with 65 mph winds when I broke tree line on top of Mt. Madison on the Appalachian Trail – I truly thought I was going to die. I am generally not a fearful person, but this event certainly took my fear meter to whole other level! But it also allowed me to face future scary situations with greater confidence as I learned to place my trust and faith more in God.
We all fear something, just to lesser or greater degrees than others, or other things. What do you fear? Snakes. Animals. The loss of a child. Cancer. Fear of dying a painful death. Maybe fear of your own emotions, financial loss – the list can be endless really.
The words “fear not” or similar such phrases appear almost 100 times in the Bible – that’s a lot of reminders! Staying with our foundation for this year’s blog posts, the Bible, Truth, and Jesus as our guide and example, I would like to take a look today at “fear” as it pertains to our wholistic health, especially how it could sabotage it – most likely unknowingly.
I love these verses out of Galatians 5:7-9:
“You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? It certainly isn’t God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough!”
Fear puts us in a place of bondage, but Jesus came to set the captives free that we might walk in freedom. Sickness and disease are binding, but Jesus took not only our sin, but our sickness and disease to the cross and to the grave, never to be resurrected again. Because of what He did for us at the cross, His resurrection brings freedom for us, including freedom with our health!
What Are Some Things We Might Fear When it Comes to Our Health?
How can fear affect our health – whether mentally, emotionally, physically or spiritually? First, as you read this post, I would encourage you to interchange the word “fear” with “the enemy of this world”. I’m not talking about when the Bible encourages us to “fear the Lord.” This is a reverent fear, a fear that honors the Lord. But a fear that overcomes us and prevents us from moving forward the way God intended us to do — this emotion of fear is never from God. In fact, His Word says perfect love cast out all fear – 1 John 4:18 says “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. The perfect love that is referenced here is Christ in us, and absence of fear from the enemy.
Fear can cause us to make wrong choices in life; it can create physical health challenges – headaches, digestive problems, and if allowed to stay long enough, more serious diseases can occur. It’s actually counter-productive to worry about getting say cancer for example, if you worry long enough, it just might come to pass! Fear certainly can cause disruptions to our emotional health, even to the point of making irrational decisions based out of fear. And of course, carrying fear around with you all the time is like having a regular dance partner with the enemy – he’ll dance with you all day long, as long as you are walking in his company – fear.
Fear of Lack of Knowledge
Fear can come upon us when we are believing lies, and the wrong sources for truth. Most of us have felt inadequate at times, its normal, because we are! Only Jesus is all knowing and perfect, so let that feeling of inadequacy go now. But all of us have the ability to learn, especially when we lean into the Teacher of all truth, Who is all knowing. Don’t let your lack of knowledge freeze you into a place of fear that you don’t move forward into seeking out the truth. Pray and ask God for discernment as well as sources and people who hold the truth of what you might be fearing.
I have seen people hold onto their disease management game plan, even though their desire and ability are to be healthy, simply because they lack the confidence in learning new knowledge that could actually set them free from their diseases. But remember the definition of insanity: keep on doing the same thing over and over and expecting or hoping for different results. Change won’t happen by itself – you need to have faith and courage to research new knowledge and pursue it. Ask Jesus to show you the path to a better way – He’ll show you.
Fear of the Unknown
The fear of the unknown goes hand in hand with the fear of lack of knowledge. “What will happen if I pursue a new way, a different way, a healthier, more natural way and it doesn’t work? Then what?” Fear is paralyzing. Don’t let the enemy try and tell you that you have no other option, or there is no other way – there are always options and choices, but you have to move from a place of paralysis and once again, have faith in God, that He will show you His way. Remember, He is Truth and He will never mislead you. But you have to seek Him out for the answers.
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Fear of Genetics
This is a big one. We have watched our grand-parents, parents, siblings and other family members die too soon of a chronic disease, and we take on the lie that it is “genetic” and we are doomed to die the same way, at the same young age. It’s inevitable we tell ourselves. Once again, a big fat lie from the enemy. First of all, did you know that only about 7% of all chronic and degenerative diseases are truly “genetic?” A more accurate phrase regarding our genes would be “familial” – do we live the same lifestyle as our parents, siblings etc.? Do we follow a similar diet – excessive processed foods, fast food, fried foods, sugars? These are some examples of what are more accurately known as “learned behaviors.” If we follow in their footsteps, then we could possibly follow them to the grave the same way. But… the good news is, it doesn’t have to be this way! You can change those behaviors and set yours and your generations that follow, feet on a new path! A wholistic health path. Be the change bearer for you and your family.
Just as I address a paradigm shift in our thinking, starting with semantics in my book “Are You Being Deceived About True Wellness,” these semantics of “genetic vs. familial” are another one of those examples. Thinking something is genetic, implying that nothing you do can make any difference is enough to send someone to an early grave, no questions ask. It also gives people a false excuse that there is nothing they can do about their lot in life so why bother and even try – this is simply an excuse to eat the fast food, fried food, smoke, drink do drugs — and all the other toxic foods and lifestyles we could choose from. Leaning your ladder against the wrong “semantics wall” will eventually find you crashing down no doubt. But taking charge of your health can make all the difference in the world.
Fear of Change
Again, this can go hand in hand with fear of knowledge and fear of the unknown. None of us really like change unless we are the ones making it and we have a 100% guarantee of a more favorable outcome. Change is also hard and takes time. I always use the example of walking into a new grocery store, or better yet a national chain box store. I don’t shop at Walmart very often, and I’m not even overly familiar with the layout of the one closest to my house, but even still, you put me in a Walmart that the floor plan is simply flipped from what I’m even semi-familiar with – the garden section is on the left-hand side and the groceries on the right – my brain freezes. I know better than to do this if I am in a hurry – my brain needs more time to adapt to the change, even for just one shopping trip. Change is hard and takes time – so we naturally have a tendency to avoid, or at least procrastinate on, doing so. Give yourself grace, but don’t allow the excuse that change is too hard. Don’t let your fear of change be a barrier to greater health.
Fear of Losing Your Identity
Ohhh, this is a good one too. Far too many people identify with their diseases – they take full ownership of them, and in fact, if I didn’t know better, I’d think they actually look forward to the day they get diagnosed with it – after all, they knew it was coming, and it would prove them right. It’s like it’s their badge for living a long, hard, self-abused life. And yet they have no awareness that they are even doing it. It is subtle – as subtle as the enemy usually is. I know this sounds harsh but just think about it. How many times have you said, or heard someone say: “my diabetes,” or “my heart problem,” or “my cancer.” Ownership. Stop it! In addition, when we are sick or infirmed, we get more attention from loved ones than when we are healthy. And who doesn’t love attention – especially attention that is showing love? This is a sneaky one, a hidden one. I encourage you to give yourself a mental checkup on occasion to make sure you haven’t fallen into this trap of disease ownership and identity. In addition, the enemy loves it when you speak those words of ownership out loud, like when you are swapping disease ownership stories with someone else – who is suffering more? He loves to run with those words and stories and convince you even more the words you speak are true. But Jesus took those infirmities from you when He went to the cross, why are you picking them back up again as tools for the enemy to use?
The Opposite of Fear is Faith!
Fear puts us in a place of bondage, but Jesus came to set the captives free that we might walk in freedom. Sickness and disease are binding, but health brings freedom! But it takes faith. Not faith in yourself. Not faith in the medical system. Not even faith in health restoration. But faith in Jesus Christ, that He is the healer, He loves you, He wants to lead and guide you, and He wants to see you healthy and whole – every time. Yes, at times He will work miracles. But He also has given us the wisdom and discernment we need to pursue healing and His greatest desires for us. In the Book of James, it says: If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5 Amp). And He has given us the tools here on this earth to pursue what He guides us to do.
In Conclusion
The bottom line is this – don’t let the many hidden fears hold you back from achieving optimum health and healing. Instead, walk in divine health, just as God intended.
Did You Miss the “Jesus Lived a Wholistic Life” blog series?
“Truth Sprouts from the Earth”
“Jesus was Healthy Wholistically”
“Jesus Led a Balanced Emotional Life”
“Jesus Led a Balanced Physical Health Life”
“Jesus and His Spiritual Health – Stating the Obvious?”
Want to Dive Deeper into How to Live Life Wholistically?
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