The worst that could happen?

When I started to write this, I was about to go on holiday, and I was afraid. When we voice our fears, people often say, “what’s the worst that could happen?” And I suppose if my holiday fear was a fear of flying, or of becoming ill, then arguably the worst thing that could happen would, ultimately, be dying. And trusting in Jesus, death itself is not so bad after all, because something so much better follows.

But my fear is not of anything so tangible. My fear is of feeling anxious and afraid. Encouraging Harry in his anticipation of a Boggart Dementor in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Professor Lupin says, “that suggests that what you fear most of all is – fear. Very wise.” But fear can soon become a vicious circle, what David Powlison of the Christian counselling ministry CCEF described in a talk on anxiety and panic as “the fear of the fear of the fear”. 

Dr Pepper: what's the worst that could happen?

When feeling suffocated with anxiety and panic, and somebody says “what’s the worst that can happen?” – the answer is “this”. This is the worst that can happen, because the fear very quickly becomes out of control, until you feel sick and dizzy and you can’t think about anything else. The anticipation of the worst happening actually brings it about.

But it drives me to bring it to God in prayer. Tonight a friend read this verse:
“those who hope in the LORD
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles” (Isaiah 40:31).
And it reminded me that, weak as we are, it is God who empowers us to continue. So this is my challenge: to learn to soar, relying on the strength only God can supply.