Fear Is Afraid of Itself

I know I’m not the only one who has been taking a shower and felt like someone was sneaking up on me. The other day, as I was rinsing the shampoo out of my hair, I imagined a gargoyle-looking face peering in at me. In a rush to examine my surroundings, I washed the suds away from my eyes and snapped them open.

Nothing.

No one.

Of course.

And I knew that would be the case. Yet I couldn’t bear to fully close my eyes again. I spoke to whatever it was that was there and told it to get out. I rebuked it. Then, I felt peace.

I wondered why, of all things, I had pictured a gargoyle mask. How random. Nothing in my Netflix recents even remotely depicted such an image. And I considered all of the other times I had grown fearful of something. Spiders. Car wrecks. Whatever.

Then, it clicked.

Fear has to chameleon itself in various situations based on time, place, and person to get the most effective outcome: worry, doubt, hesitation. It has to present itself differently multiple times a day because it has to cater to people to be seen, to be heard.

I’ve seen the movies where bad things happen to people while they are taking a shower. My circumstances contributed to the way fear attempted to torment me. But I decided fear didn’t get a say. Then, I realized fear is just a sad bully.

Here’s why: Fear is afraid of itself. It’s afraid that it’s not efficient enough to wreak havoc in your life. It’s sent scurrying with insecurity and desperation, seeking to latch on to a victim that will allow it to weasel its way in. Don’t let it be you.

Because here’s the catch: You’re the one that actually has authority. If you know who you are and Whose you are, you have a confidence that cannot be shaken by anything of this world. Don’t let fear overcome you when you’re the one it seeks for its strength and confidence. Instead, drain fear of its paralyzing grip by telling it you don’t care for its opinion or its malicious entertainment.

And when fear comes crawling back to you once again for your approval, bear your teeth with dominion and let the power in you be the scarier thing in the room.