Jim and Martha had been married for almost 17 years. Recently, a doctor's report had confirmed something they had suspected - Jim had a terminal case of cancer, with less than a year to live.

   Jim seemed calm enough when he discussed his situation, though there was a definite undercurrent of tension. "I'm not afraid of dying," he began. "Of course, I dread the pain that will come but, most of all, I dread the effect my progressive illness will have on my wife and the incredible financial burden my last few months will place on her."

   Martha was frightened, too. First, because of the pain which would wrack her husband's body and, in some ways, hurt her as much as her husband. And, naturally, she was bothered by the financial burden. "But the truth is," she confessed, "I'm afraid of being alone."

   Fear comes in many forms. Anxiety, depression, worry - these all stem from the basic root of fear. Most psychologists agree that all ow fears can actually be reduced to two categories: (1) fear of pain or suffering and (2) fear of the unknown. At first glance these classifications may seem too broad. However, rhe first category includes not only physical pain, but also the mental and psychological pain which is far greater. This includes many rhings. We may be afraid of being embamssed, of losing our job, of losing rhe respect of others, of failing in some way, of disappointing those whom we love, and douns of other situations.
Fear of the unknown also includes such things as fear of dying. The is probably man's oldest basic fear. This can be illustrated by the fear that some persons have, particularly some children, of the dark. When the lights go out, the world becomes a land of the unknown in which may lurk monsters, ghosts, goblins, and other "dangerous" creatures.

   What about fear and the Christian? Fear exists in the lives of millions of Christians and is responsible for much unhappiness. The question is should we, as Christians, have fear in our lives? Does fear have any good purpose at all?
   
   The American psychologist Henry Charles Link said that "fear is nature's warning signal to get busy."

   Most psychologists today agree that fear, in some cases, has a genuine purpose. It is a basic emotion like love and hate. However, this use of fear relates primarily to physical dangers and stimuli. What about the psychological fears which clutch at so many of us in this hectic, modern world, causing ulcers, headaches, and other physical illnesses?

   Most of us realize that this kind of fear - nagging dread and worry - is a crippler in our lives, an unhealthy emotion which should be avoided. Hut what can we do about it? First, we should realize that God does not want us to be afraid! If we have fear in our lives it is not because of God's will, but in spite of it. Though the Bible speaks of fearing God, this refers to respect and willingness to be obedient to God's will.

   Aristotle said, "No one loves the man whom he fears," and it is true that a life burdened with fear - whether one great fear or the many small fears of everyday life - is not being lived to its fullest.

   How can we do away with these small fears that affect us all? With God's help we can overcome these anxieties and apprehensions which stem from fear. We can allow the love of God to replace the fear of man. I believe that the first step for this to happen is to accept Christ as our Savior, so that His love might be demonstrated in our lives.

   Our lives can be controlled by love, rather than by fear. This is one of the greatest messages taught by Christ. It is natural for a man to love his friends, but Christ went even further and stated thar we should love our enemies as well.

   Indeed, love is so much a part of our religion, John remarked, "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love rhe brethren" (I lohn 3: 14).

   The more we love our fellow man, Ne more we will love God. Martin Luther stated "Natural love is the image of God." On another occasion he said, "Love, like warmth, should beam forth on every side and beam on every necessity of our brethren."
   
   The only way to get rid of the many little fears and worries of modern life is to replace them with love - the love of Jesus Christ directed toward our neighbors.
   
   It helps to read and to study God's Word when beset by nagging fears and anxieties. The Bible is a source of strength and comfort in any situation. Time spent in reading God's Holy Truth when we are depressed or anxious can brighten our lives, give us hope, and usually do us more good than tranquilizers or medication.

   The Lady Jane Grey, great-granddaughter of King Henry VII, claimed that "the highest earthly enjoyments are but a shadow of the joy I find in reading God's Word."

   Another way to banish fear is through prayer. The importance of prayer in our lives cannot be overemphasized. It is our means of communication with God. Paul instructed us to "Pray without ceasing" (I Thessalonians 5:17) and a life based on such pnyer would be wonderful. The effectiveness of prayer at times when we are beset by fears or problems was realized by Philip Melanchthon, a German scholar and co-worker of Martin Luther in the Protestant Reformation. He remarked that "trouble and perplexity drive me to prayer, and prayer drives away perplexity and trouble."

   Prayer, studying God's Word, fellowship with other Christians, working for God, involvement in church activities, and generally living a life filled with the truth of the Holy Spirit and the love of Christ can make our lives more complete and meaningful than anything else in the world.

   Fear - in all its many forms - is perhaps the greatest crippler in the lives of Christians. Nothing can do more to prevent us from living a truly Christian life than being burdened with multitudinous worries, anxieties, apprehensions, depressions, and fears.

   A U.S. News and World Repon article said, "The fact is that today the biggest single emotion which dominates our lives is fear." Fear is actually more pervasive and persuasive than many of us realize. ll is pervasive in the sense that it invades our lives like a cold, clammy fog-it clutches at us, chills our hearts, numbs our lives even when we don't consciously realize that it is happening. It is persuasive in that it compels us to do things which ordinarily we wouldnot do. It mesmerizes us into seeing things from our point of view rather than from God's.
What is the true answer to eradicating fear in our lives - to eliminating the anxieties, depression, worry, and so many of the other ills of our modem society and our everyday lives? Simply stated, it is to have Christ in our hearts and our lives, for Christ is God incarnate and God is love. And only love can eliminate fear for "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear" (I John 4: 18).

        "Men become courageous by the same process that they become fearful; successful and confident by the same process that they become failures. Both are ideas that we sell ourselves. If you are timid and fearful or feel inferior, you do not need to learn the technique of selling ideas to yourself. You are already a past master at the art. All you need do is change the ideas you sell. Suggest confidence to yourself in exactly the same way you have been suggesting failure."
from The Wealth Within You, by Elmer Wheeler

"This movement into our fear and the expression of that process is not only courageous, and, in my view, a creative act, but is a move toward personal power and freedom as well. fear, anxiety, confusion, depression - all these have a way of paralyzing us; another way of saying that is they take away our power and leave us in a kind of limbo or suspended state."
from What Are You Afraid Of? by John T. Wood, copyright 1978 by Prentice-Hall, Inc.