Myers
I have an incredibly hyperactive mind.
It is constantly spinning and processing. I actually feel a good deal of sympathy for my computer, mixed with increasing doses of rage, when the little pinwheel pops up indicating my computer is trying really hard to get its act together and get things moving in a productive direction.
As a general rule, I believe this to be a positive thing. I tend to fixate on an issue or an idea and am compelled to pursue it until I have a reasonable idea of the most probable outcome and have determined a functional plan of action to bring it about.
In the light of day, my mind’s persistent movement is a blessing. In the uncertainty and ambiguity of the darkness, however, it can be a curse. In the absence of productive and useful things on which to fixate, my mind fills in the blank spaces. Oftentimes, it just makes things up. As a result, I see monsters in the darkness.
Lying in my bed, my senses become keenly aware of my surroundings. I hear all of the creaking as my house adjusts to changes in temperature, the rush of the wind blowing through the branches outside my windows and the sundry sounds produced by my furnace, my refrigerator and my water heater.
All of these sounds are present during the daylight and cause me no concern and take up zero mental capacity. In the darkness of night, though, they become intruders invading my space and stealing my peace.
It is not uncommon for me to randomly jump out of bed during the night to patrol the premises, making sure the family is safe and in their proper places, making certain there are no creatures hiding in our closets and that our doors are all shut and locked.
It also is not uncommon for my wife to tell me I’ve lost my ever-loving mind and if I keep waking her up and disturbing her rest, she’ll be the only monster I need to worry about. Her frustration is 100% warranted. Not one time have I found any legitimate cause for concern. My fear is a product of my fixation on the unknown and nothing more. When I turn on a light, I clearly see there is nothing of which to be afraid.
I recently heard someone say, “What people fear most is the unknown.” We could create a robust list of things people fear and debate which one they fear the most, but it is unquestionable that a great deal of anxiety, worry and fear is created by our consideration of the unknown things and areas in our lives.
Our rest is most often impeded by the restlessness of our minds as we stare into the proverbial darkness. The disruptions that plague us, robbing us of our peace from the darkness ahead, are often nothing more than creations of our own making. They are the ghosts of maybe and might be, and more often than not, when the lights come on, we learn they never were. We learn there was nothing to fear in the first place.
The Bible is full of passages that offer encouragement about this very issue. Over and over again, God tells his people, “Do not fear.” There is a host of reasons why we aren’t to fear.
Psalm 23:4 assures us that even in the darkest of places, we don’t need to fear because God is with us protecting us. Isaiah 41:10 encourages us that we don’t need to be afraid or dismayed because God will strengthen, help and uphold us with his power and presence. Jesus told the disciples that the hairs on their heads were numbered so they had no reason to be afraid. And Paul told Timothy that we haven’t been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.
There are times and places where fear is both good and productive, but a good amount of our fears are utterly futile as they are founded upon the unknown. Rather than resting in the truth we know, we choose to shudder in the face of the spirits of what we don’t.
There are enough monsters in the world without us creating more in our imaginations. Rather than fearing the darkness and fixating on the unknown before us, we would be better served calming our hearts and finding rest in the calm and quiet of the darkness. The light will shine again and we will see that our fears were unfounded and that the unknown we once feared is actually the pathway to a bright and hopeful future.
The Rev. Jeremy Myers is the lead pastor of First Baptist Church in Seymour. Read his blog at jeremysmyers.com. Send comments to [email protected].