Articles

Overcoming Six Fears That Make Us Angry

Posted on by Russ Ewell
27
Aug

Young Caine: You cannot see.

Master Po: You think I cannot see?

                                      Young Caine: Of all things, to live in darkness must be worst.

Master Po: Fear is the only darkness. 

When I was a kid one of my favorite television shows was Kung Fu.   Kwai Chang Caine portrayed by David Carrdine was the epitome of security.   Nothing could shake him.   His mastery of fear learned under the tutelage of Master Po was his secret. What he portrayed on television can come true in real life if we are willing to study the scriptures.

 

What Drives Our Anger?

8 Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands.  What more can he get but the kingdom?” 9 And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.

I Samuel 18:8-9 (NIV)

Saul was insecure not evil.   Insecurity occurs when fear becomes part of our character.  Fear defines our personality, provides our motivation, and is our dominant emotion.   When we are insecure fear becomes part of us.   The pervasiveness of this fear will ultimately lead to anger.  When we defeat the insecurity we beat the anger.

What can we learn from these two simple verses:

  1. Saul was angry – about how he looked in the eyes of people
  2. He focused on people – about who they gave credit to
  3. He compared himself to people – about where he ranked compared to David
  4. He was afraid of people – about the threat of David taking his position

 

Choosing God

Saul helps us understand anger can be created by insecurity.   His anger was a symptom of his insecurity.  If he had found security from his fears in a great relationship with God, anger would have lost its hold on him.   This was the big difference between Saul and David.   David found security in God.

4 Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name.  5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. 6 When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.  ”7 Lord, when you favored me, you made my royal mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.

Psalm 30:4–7 (NIV)

Identifying Our Fears

Finding security in God begins with identifying our fears.  These fears are usually at the heart of our anger problems.  Here are six which everyone experiences.

  1. Fear of People
  2. Fear of Rejection
  3. Fear of Intimacy or Emotion
  4. Fear of Failure
  5. Fear of Success
  6. Fear of Sudden Disaster

 

 

Defeating Our Fears

How can we defeat these fears which produce massive insecurity leading to anger?

 

  1. Study the Scriptures – the Bible can help us identify which fears dominate us emotionally

  2. Be Specific in Prayer – get specific with God about what makes you afraid and ask for help

  3. Be Aware – identify triggers which unleash your fears (what precedes your fear)

  4. Be Honest – develop a fearless circle of between 3-5 people to help you overcome your fears

  5. Be Spiritual – turn your focus away from people and toward God.  Pleasing God reduces fear!

  6. Be Confident – not in yourself but in God’s love for you…because his love defeats fear completely

16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.  God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.  18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.

I John 4:16-18 (NLT)

 

Russ Ewell

Russ Ewell is Senior Evangelist of the Bay Area Christian Church. Russ Ewell writes, teaches, and innovates with his eyes on the future. His passion to inspire even the most skeptical to view God through fresh eyes can be found in his book “When God Isn’t Attractive”. His teaching is rooted in providing hope for those turned off by tradition, and infused with vision for building the transformative church for which the 21st century hungers. Russ Ewell is founder of the inclusive sports program E-Soccer for which he received a Jefferson Award, as well as a Congressional Citation from Congressman Tom Lantos.