3 Faces of Fear

The Teacher

Trouble comes when we allow fear to become an ever-present friend. It becomes more than a pal; it becomes a master. It cripples us if we shy away from its every reminder.

As we grow, fear reveals its next face: the teacher.

It is an over-protective friend. We have to discern when it is truly for us and when it is asking us to withhold too much. When is a negative response from people worth the proclamation I’m holding? When is the danger to my physical self worth the emotional or spiritual dividends on the other side?

Fear teaches us who we are and what really matters to us. It teaches us to risk. Courage in the face of fear is one of the most meaningful human experiences.

One of the reasons we get stuck in it is because we believe the solution is the absence of fear. But fear is too good for us to go away completely. Bravery is not the absence of fear; it is proper action in the presence of fear.

And so, it is a teacher, challenging us when to give and when to take, when to compromise and when to make a stand. It asks us about purpose and meaning and value.