Do Not Give In To Fear

1 Aug

“Fear is the path to the dark side.  Fear leads to anger.  Anger leads to hate.  Hate leads to suffering.”  ~ Yoda

There are some things in life that are totally unpredictable.  We all know that for a fact.  However, there are some things that are very predictable as well.  Fear is one of them.  Master Yoda, of Star Wars fame, knew that as he taught Luke Skywalker.  He wanted Luke to know that fear, if not mastered, would take a person down a path that would lead to suffering and doom.  It does.

Fear tends to lead to anger because, when we feel out of control — which fear provokes — we tend to get angry:  angry at ourselves and angry at persons or situations that are at the root of our fear.  If that anger remains unchecked, it will turn into many things that feed hatred.  We begin to hate the other person or the circumstance.  Eventually, we may even allow that hatred to turn inward, feeding depression or self-destructive tendencies.

Fear is no good.

That is why so many times in the Old and New Testament we hear people, angels, and God tell others, “Fear Not.”  They knew that if a person was in fear, that person would not be able to hear a message properly or act upon the message being proclaimed.  They knew that fear could lead to the eventual downfall of the person.

There are many theological constructs that can be found in the Star Wars story.  Yoda repeated the warning given to us through the ages: do not allow fear to overcome you.  It will inevitably lead to your downfall.  Instead, face your fear, confront your fear, and use the Force (um, the Gifts of the Holy Spirit) to overcome your fear.

FAITH ACTION:  Pray for all those who are so caught up in their fear that they have become immobilized emotionally or spiritually.