Neil T. Anderson - Stomping Out Fear: Finding Courage in Christ

My dad accepted Christ in 1996 at a Promise Keepers event in Denver, Colorado, and shook hands with Him on November 19, 2001.

Dad, I will miss your "Clark Gable" mustache, Stetson hats, warm smile, and cowboy boots. I am so proud to be your son and so thankful to God that I was given a father like you. Dad, enjoy Jesuswith Him there is no more fear, no more sorrow, only God's awesome presence and peace.

If you're reading this dedication and you have an unsaved loved one, don't lose hope. I prayed for my dad for 19 years, and at the age of 67 he finally received Christ as his personal Lord and Savior.

-Dave

We want to thank the whole Harvest House team for another job well done and for the fine work of editing, designing, and marketing. You make writing books fun and rewarding. Special thanks to Paul Gossard.

Thank you to all the young people who courageously told us their stories-some of which are in this book, but all of which touched our hearts.

Finally, we want to thank our heavenly Father for calling us His children; Jesus Christ, who has set us free from fear; and the Holy Spirit, who leads us into all truth. We are indeed blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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by Josh D. McDowell

Traveling across the country and around the world, I have found that so many young people today are burdened with deep anxieties and fears in their lives. And with school violence, bombings, and terrorist attacks in the news, it's no wonder so many are living in fear. Many people are so overwhelmed that they can't even talk about what they are going through.

In their book Stomping Out Fear, Neil, Dave, and Rich clearly show that fear and anxiety come from a lack of understanding of who God is and who we are in Christ. They give rock-solid principles from the Word of God to point young people to Jesus, the One who can set us free.

Stomping Out Fear can help you learn who you really are in Christ and howyou can be free from bondage and fear. I strongly encourage you to read this book and put the truth to work in your life. The apostle Paul says that "God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT). You belong to Jesus. A life free of fear can be yours!

Until the whole world hears,

Josh D. McDowell

In relating true stories and testimonies throughout the book, we have changed names to protect individuals' identity and privacy.

For ease of reading we have not distinguished ourselves from each other in authorship or experiences, preferring to use "I" and "we" as opposed to "I (Dave), "I (Rich);' or "I (Neil)" The only exceptions are illustrations referring to family.

FEAR. IT WAS THE FIRST NEGATIVE, ugly, really bad human emotion that humanity experienced after Adam and Eve sinned and fell away from God. "But the LORD God called to the man, `Where are you?' He answered, `I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid"' (Genesis 3:9-10 NIV).

We've all experienced fear-like when someone jumps out at us from around the corner and we about rocket out of our socks. That's healthy fear. To be honest, if you didn't jump, it would mean something was wrong with your reflexes.

That's not the kind of fear we are going to deal with in this book. Instead, we want to talk about what we call the "fear factor." With this kind of fear, you can't always put your finger on its source. For example, have you ever been so anxious over the uncertainties of the next day that you felt keyed up, tired, and irritable? You found it difficult to sleep, and you just couldn't relax because your mind was racing and your muscles were tense.

Or have you ever been paralyzed by fear to the point that you couldn't carry out your heart's desire? You knew what was right and you wanted to do the right thing, but some unknown fear kept you from doing it.

Or maybe you've had a sudden episode of intense fear that came out of the blue. You had shortness of breath and felt like you were being smothered. Your heart pounded, causing you to sweat profusely. You began to tremble, feeling unreal, like you were going crazy. You might have had chest pains and numbness or tingling in your hands and feet.

These are the symptoms of anxiety, fear, and panic, which cripple a large percentage of youth. You are experiencing the fear factor. Perhaps you can relate to the following cry for help:

For as long as I can remember I have been plagued with fears and anxieties. I was raised in an abusive family and lived under the threat of even worse treatment if I ever told. In the bondage of fear, I decided to never tell anyone.

I came home one evening and found everyone gone. I was gripped with fear and crawled under my bed. Why aren't they home? Do they think / told someone? What's going to happen when they come back? I could never enjoy the simple little things that accompany childhood.

My anxieties and fears followed me wherever I went. I was too afraid to try out for anything where I could possibly fail, and I dreaded every exam. My stomach would tie up in knots from anxiety. I became a perfectionist who had to achieve-whatever the cost.

This pattern of fear continued into my teenage years. I tried to accept Jesus twice, but I feared not being good enough. I feared the rejection and ridicule of others, so I tried to keep everyone happy. Even sleep offered no comfort. The nightmares I suffered as a result of the abuse in my childhood continued for many years.

I know this is robbing me of the life I want to live, but I don't know what to do. I feel like I'm living two lives. On the outside I appear to be successful, but if people could see the condition of my soul, they would see only pain, anxiety, and fear. Can somebody help me? Can I help myself-or is this what life is supposed to be?