Battling Fear in Your Life

“The only thing to fear is fear itself.” This oft repeated quote is possible one of the truest axioms ever uttered. People use it all of the time, but how many actually believe it? In truth, if you are a Christian, fear is the most irrational emotion you can have. Why is fear so debilitating and dangerous, and according to the Bible, sin. I would like to explain it in the form of a story first, and then back it Biblically. I hope it helps everyone struggling with fear. Since I began looking at fear from this perspective, it has definitely helped me.
A small mouse and her offspring were wandering through a dry and parched area in the midst of a debilitating drought. They came upon a small watering hole filled with clear clean water, a source of salvation for the small rodent family for they would have soon died of thirst had they not happened upon it. They all begin to drink from the hole, and suddenly, thunderous footsteps can be felt approaching. The small mother mouse spins around to see a mother elephant and her calf. A sense of doom comes over the mother realizing that the much larger animal will soon run off, or destroy the rodents and keep the water for it and its calf. Suddenly, the giant beast flinches, and rears up at the sight of the tiny mouse. The elephant is clearly terrified of the mouse, and is frozen in fear. This continues for some time, and sensing the fear, the mouse and her offspring set up a nest in front of the watering hole. The elephant paces back and forth with her calf, slowly dying of thirst.
I hope you got the picture from the story, but if not, I will explain it. You, as a Christian, are the elephant, and those that depend on you, such as your children and spouse, are the calf. The mouse represents anything in your life that is holding you back from what God has prepared for you, your destiny. It is totally irrational that an animal as large as an elephant is scarred of a tiny mouse, but this is the case. All the elephant had to do to save itself and its family, was stomp on the tiny mouse in its way. The same holds true for all of us that follow God. We are often held back by our irrational fear of circumstances.
A biblical backing for this story is found in 2 Kings, the seventh chapter. The city of Samaria was besieged by the Syrian army, and the inhabitants were starving. They had very little hope, but the prophet of God stands up and proclaims the power of God. He was the elephant, and by facing the fear head on and trusting God, hem stomped out the mouse in his path. The Syrian army however, did not handle fear as well. As the much larger force, they served as the elephant in their own eyes. However, the heard what the thought was the sound of chariots in the distance, and even though their fear was completely irrational and unfounded, they fled, leaving great spoils for the people of Samaria.
I realize this is a simple illustration, but defeating fear is something all Christians must strive to do. So, remember, there truly is nothing to fear if you follow the almighty God, and do not be afraid to stomp on the mice in your life.