I'm a third of the way through Edward Welch's new book Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest. I feel like Ed is writing this book to me, since every other page seems to contain an insight that smacks me right in the face. My guess is that fear is somewhere near the top of your list of things that have the power to grip and twist your heart. Fear is "an inescapable feature of earthly life."
Ed's book, and the topic of fear, calls for more than one post--so I'm going to tag today's entry as "Part 1" which implies more will follow. Here are some of my highlighted insights drawn from what I've read so far in Running Scared:
Whatever you need is a mere stone's throw from what you fear.
Two prominent categories of fear are those fears related to money and people. Their power to provoke fear is directly related to how much we need them. If we need what people can give us, they are in control and we will fear them. If we need what money can give us, we will notice rising insecurities whenever we do the bills.
Money is believed to have unusual power to satisfy our needs and wants, so it is the target of endless fears.
With money we can get adequate medical treatment, love, respect, and care in our old age. Nothing else in creation can offer so much control and power. Without it we are vulnerable and powerless. No wonder our fears attach themselves to our net worth.
If fear were just about a dangerous world, there would be little I could do. But if it is about me, maybe there is a way through it.
Of all the different words and ideas that cluster around fear, work with "trust." Review some of your fears and ask: What do these fears say I trust in? What do my fears say I love?
