Dealing with Fearful Thinking

I am spending time considering the emotion of fear perhaps because I am listening to an audio book by Charles Dickens. It is only one of two historical novels he wrote and it chronicles the Protestant killing and abuse of Catholics in the 1780 anti-Catholic Gordon Riots in England.

Dickens vividly describes how the violence of those riots spread dramatically because of rumors and fear.

I consider this in light of Dallas Willard, one of my favorite theologians who writes Eve was not struck by the Devil with a stick but with an idea.

How did the ideas that led to a massive riot, murders, death and persecution of the Catholic faith in England begin? There are many threads to this level of violence. The history of violence from Bloody Mary, the zealous bigotry of Protestant pastors, the tinder of thousands of fearful families and then the flame of evil men who wanted to do violence not because of their faith but because of their greed and desire for cruelty.

I consider the ways fear spreads through my mind similarly to a riot. Thoughts crowd out what is reasonable replaced by a stark certainty that what I fear is the absolute truth. No amount of logic or verses or reason can move me from these riotous thoughts without tremendous discipline and will to submit all thoughts to God.

Fear is a riotous mob that believes fully in its cause.

What happens when we allow the riotous mass of terrible thoughts to march through our minds?
Fear could be just one quality of this ruinous thinking—also bitterness, shame, revenge, cruelty, greed, mean-spiritedness.

Just like a mob, until we have real controls and faithful guards in place, the mob will come back in greater numbers and more destructive actions.

What fearful thoughts do I allow to then ignite hidden kegs of bitterness, selfishness, judgment, and ideas that are full of total devotion to self or child preservation?

Mobs elicit the impulse to run, to lock doors, to avoid seeing or helping those in need.

When I am afraid, my fearful thoughts rob me of peace and insight. They fuel preoccupation with self-preservation.

How do we stop a mob of riotous, fear-mongering thoughts?

We bind the thoughts and give them no more freedom to do whatever they want. Each thought must be stopped and brought under the authority of the mind of Christ.

Again and again scripture tells us, “Do not be afraid”. It is the injunction most often given in scripture.

It means we have a decision to make. Will I be afraid or not? If I choose not to be afraid, I must make an intentional decision to move fearful thoughts out of time and attention and to bind them in submission to the love and peace of God.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” – Philippians 4:6