Overcoming Anxiety by Reaching Out…

    Fear is an emotional response to a threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to actual danger.  Fear should be distinguished from anxiety which occurs without actual danger.  Anxiety is a response to an imagined threat. The behaviorists of classical conditioning believe that anxiety is a reflex acquired from non-dangerous stimuli.  Additionally, fear is related to the specific behaviors of escape and avoidance, whereas anxiety robs us of life  when we allow imagined threat to limit our ability to use our God given gifts and graces.

   Bill Tancer analyzed the most frequent online searches involving the phrase, "fear of..."  The top ten list of anxieties consisted of flying, heights, clowns, intimacy, death, rejection, people, snakes, failure/success, and driving.

   Anxieties can be quite effectively treated with behavioral modification.  Jesus was a master at behavioral modification.  He helped the disciples overcome their anxieties regarding the powers and principalities of the Roman Empire and the temple leadership.  In the first century, just as today, people had anxieties regarding the fear of people, rejection, and failure.  Jesus helped his followers overcome their sense of hopelessness regarding poverty and the overwhelming physical and spiritual needs of the masses. He modeled for them the effective use of personal power (their God given gifts) through the power of community (the Body of Christ).  Jesus taught them how to pray and instilled in them the awareness that God is present always (The Spirit).  These were the teachings that empowered his followers and attracted people to Jesus.  Jesus developed with them a supportive and empowering community and sent out in twos to change the world as they healed their anxieties by working together to usher in the Realm of God.

   During the month of August Rockwood UMC will be celebrating and modeling Jesus’ ministry as we work together in Christian Community (the Body of Christ) and heal our anxieties as we reach out together to our neighborhood.  On Sunday mornings we will focus on Jesus’ teachings that help us overcome the anxieties that limit life in the Sermon series “No More Anxiety.”  I hope you will join us and invite your neighbors.

    Rev. Myers