CHRONIC FEAR

Fear affects us in many ways. It can galvanize us to action or freeze us in our tracks. Fear can bring out our worst instincts, or it can summon up our truest courage. But chronic fear—even what we might describe as low-level fear, such as ongoing anxiety and worry—weighs us down and wears us out. Sometimes, this can be a serious mental health issue, can be clinically diagnosed, and requires treatment by a qualified health professional.

But, even if that is not the case, I suspect almost all of us live with a persistent hum of low-level anxiety in our everyday lives, draining our energy, dulling our focus, and stealing our joy. Such anxiety is a serious issue, part of the apparently widespread malaise of much of our world today. Despite this, we should not underestimate the opportunities we have to lift others up, that even a small kindness or word of encouragement can make a seemingly inordinate difference. It can be as simple as the response we give to someone’s morning greeting. However, we could also be more intentional in imagining how we can brighten the day of the people with whom we work or otherwise share our lives. The Bible offers simple but important wisdom. It reminds us that our faith is practical. We might be tempted to think that theology must be abstract and complicated, but the Bible is about all our lives—not only ideas that fill large, dusty books and not only our going-to-church best. The Bible acknowledges that we experience anxiety and fear, so we can admit it, too. The Bible recognizes that life can wear us down, so we should not be surprised when we feel tired. We can give more grace to the people we encounter each day. The Bible suggests that something as simple as a kind word can make a world of difference—or just enough difference for today. That is something real we can offer those around us.