Christian Relationship Help - 5 Steps For Overcoming Fears In Relationships

This Christian relationship help offers five steps to overcome fear by enabling you to face your fears and deal with them rather than propagate or avoid them. Relationships stir up many fears in us, especially when people are doing things that we disagree with.

Fear is a basic survival mechanism; humans have it and so do animals. Its purpose is to protect by enabling the person or animal to heighten its senses and attend to what is threatening by either fighting or fleeing, hence the "fight or flight" response. It is experienced physiologically by the sympathetic nervous system which tightens muscles and primes them with oxygen and increases the heart rate. Emotionally we experience fear with recognition of danger.

Fear can either motivate you or paralyze you. Fear compels you to action to protect you. It would propel you to move out of the way of a train or send you to the doctor when you feel a suspicious lump. It can also keep you from speaking your truth, setting boundaries, asking for help, and making necessary changes in yourself and your life.

Paul wrote to Timothy: "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7, NIV). Self-discipline is translated as a "sound mind" in the King James Version. He was telling Timothy to respond to fear with God's strength. Having a sound mind gives you the ability to choose your response to fear in your relationships.

Here are the five steps for dealing with your fears:

1. Identify the specific fear.

2. Feel it rather than avoid it.

3. Talk to God and others about it.

4. Analyze how it is affecting your life.

5. Do what you need to do, in spite of the fear.

Fear is a natural protective response. Even so, the Bible tells us to replace fear and anxiety with trust in the Lord. When we trust Him with the outcome, we will be empowered to do what is right even while we are struggling with the feeling. Applying the five steps to overcome fear in this Christian relationship help empowers you to deal with your relationship fears and do the right thing in spite of the fear.

Relationship Prayer: Lord, help me to overcome my fears by dealing with them and turning them over to you. Give me the courage to do what is right even when I am still feeling fearful.

Relationship Challenge: Use these five steps to overcome fear with one of the things that you are fearful about in a relationship.