Teach your men about fear. All men struggle with the emotion of fear, though it is customary to conceal such feelings. Fear is "the feeling that something bad will happen, whether real or imagined."

Does fear make a man a sissy? No, fear is a normal human emotion, and it can be healthy. Fear will trigger a healthy dose of adrenaline in the fight-or-flight syndrome. It's good to be afraid when a car abruptly swerves into your lane.

What is not normal is a "spirit" of fear. Vast is the difference between fear and a spirit of fear. Second Timothy 1:7 says, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline" (NLT). What kind of spirit, then, did He give us? It is the spirit of adoption. "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship [adoption]" (Romans 8:15). Sons don't doubt the good intentions of their fathers--especially when their father is perfect.

Even in times of extraordinary courage, men still feel fear. Fear does not preclude courage, nor is courage the absence of fear. Teach your men that faith leads to courage, and courage conquers fear.

Upon seeing Jesus walk on water, the disciples were afraid. Jesus said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.... You of little faith... Why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:27, 31). The issue is not having more courage, but more faith. "Faith" is the confidence that everything will work out in the end--that God is sovereignly orchestrating our circumstances, and He is good. "Courage" is the state of mind created by faith that enables us to face bad things with confidence and resolution.

Who is afraid of what they already know? If you think about it, all fear is oriented toward the future. Yet Ecclesiastes 7:14 says, "A man cannot discover anything about his future." Help your men put fear and worry in proper perspective.

Show your men how to find peace in troubles through prayer: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7). In fact, this would be a good one for them to memorize if they are inclined to give Scripture memorization a try.

For More: Go to www.pastoringmen.com and click on "24. Fear" to (1) see or hear "Fear" in The Man in the Mirror Remix series or (2) read "Fear," chapter 17 in The Man in the Mirror.

#401   © 2010. Patrick Morley. All rights reserved. This article may be reproduced
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