Oxley Christian College Newsletter

Chaplain’s Corner

Afraid or Anxious?

It doesn’t matter how old you are, how much money you have or where you grew up. We all, at times, must deal with fear or moments of feeling anxious. Growing up, I had a friend who was afraid of, get this … of food that wobbles. She had a fear of jelly!

 

It seems such a silly thing to fear right? However, that’s the thing about fear – it is not always sensible, and we don’t always feel we have full control over it. It can sneak up on us when we least expect it. True?

 

When I was young, I remember having dreams that would wake me in the night about being chased by a tractor tyre! What might seem fine, laughable for one person, might be the thing of nightmares for another.

 

In school at different moments, I feared the following. Do you or your children relate?

  • Making mistakes.
  • Saying the wrong thing.
  • Scared of heights.
  • Afraid of spiders.
  • Scared of letting people down.
  • I was afraid of the dark.
  • Scared of people finding out I was a Christian and that they might tease me because of it.
  • And then I feared not being a good enough Christian.
  • I was afraid of having no friends.
  • Afraid of getting lost.
  • Afraid of not being on time.
  • I had a fear of losing.
  • I was afraid of singing in the choir.
  • I was afraid of public speaking.

I still remember the first time I spoke publicly, at the age of 13, in front of a group. There were only 30 primary-aged kids in the room, and I was tasked with a two minute object lesson, likening a washing basket to a turtle shell and how this can relate to how God protects us.

 

I was scared stiff! Sweating buckets. Why? Fear of making a mistake. Fear of feeling embarrassed. Fear of not getting it right and letting my Kids Pastor down, or worse, feeling like I was letting God down. You name it, I feared it. 

 

But as I share often with our kids, It’s ok to be nervous. It’s ok to feel a little anxious when you’re trying something new or wanting to achieve your best. I like to say, that ‘feeling nervous is actually good for you, it’s very normal and it actually proves that you care.’ 

 

And of course, once I had had success, once I had shared this little, short message to the kids, I felt a huge sense of relief but also a sense of achievement and, renewed courage! Lo and behold, I was keen to do it again! To have another go!

 

We all face fear, don’t we? We all get nervous or scared at times, right? And as we search the pages of the Bible, we find we are not alone in this.

 

Fear crippled the Israelites as they faced the giant Goliath. His taunts and teasing made a very large army tremble. Over one man!

 

Fear of being caught out for his mistake, turned King David into a murderer.

 

Fear of public speaking almost saw Moses give up on his call to leadership and say no, to leading the people of Israel out of slavery from Egypt. To think, an entire generation would have suffered if he had given in to his fears.

 

Having fears, being afraid, or having moments where you feel scared or worried, happens to all of us. 

 

Nick Vujicic says, 

The goal is not to avoid fear. It’s to recognise it, deal with and overcome it.

Nick might be somewhat of an expert on conquering fear, as he was born with a condition that means he has no arms or legs. Nick says, 

You either choose to overcome fear or it overcomes you.

 

So, what can we do? What can you encourage your child in?

 

1. Recognise the fear and recognise the source of the fear. Recognise where it’s coming from. Some fears are okay. If it is helping me to avoid danger for example. 

 

The origin or the source of other fears will never be from God. His gift to us is the opposite. His gift is strength and courage and love and self-control. Amen?

2 Timothy 1:7 says, 
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

 

So, if the source of fear is not from God, can I encourage you to actually talk to your fears, pray away your fears and tell them to go away!? If God is for us, who can be against us!?

 

2. Don’t be afraid to fail! 

If you don’t try, you won’t fail. But if you don’t try you won’t succeed either. Don’t be afraid to fail; don’t be afraid to look a little silly; don’t be afraid to have a go!

 

Michael Jordan, one of, if not the most successful basketball players in history, in his pro career, missed more than 9,000 shots. He lost 300 games. He missed the game winning shot 26 times. He says, 

I’ve failed over and over again in my life, and that ... is why I succeed.

Imagine if Michael Jordan feared going back to his team training or the game the next week, all because he’d missed just one shot?

 

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 

 

3. Don’t be afraid to invite God into the equation. Pray!

For many, one of the biggest fears we have is simply asking a question. God for one, loves questions! Pray and ask God for answers, for strength, for boldness, for courage, for wisdom, for patience. And believe me, He will provide. 

 

2 Timothy 1:7 says, 

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 

 

Amen?

 

God bless,

 

Pastor Matt Daly

College Chaplain