When I went back to seminary, several weeks went by before I could sleep all night without waking up scared in the middle of the night. I finally got over it, but it taught me how fear can capture and paralyze our minds. Fear is a terrible enemy. Anxiety and fear can distract us from our daily routine and can destroy our joy of living. Many people have told me when I was an MCC pastor that they drove to the church and sat in the parking lot for several Sundays before they got courage to come inside and risk being seen by somebody they knew.
Fear saps our energy and distorts our perception of reality.
I have found, however, that most of the things that I feared never happened. Fear makes us vulnerable. Fear is never our friend. Fear causes pain and torment. The one who is afraid is not yet fully complete in love.