Neil T. Anderson - Freedom from Fear: Overcoming Worry and Anxiety

Unless otherwise marked, all Scripture references are taken from the New American Standard Bible, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Verses marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. The NIV and New International Version trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society.

Verses marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Verses marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version, Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible, Copyright 1971 owned by assignment by Illinois Regional Bank N.A. (as trustee). Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Cover design by Terry Dugan Design, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Cover photo 2000 Jeff Schultz/AlaskaStock.com

FREEDOM FROM FEAR
Copyright 1999 by Neil T. Anderson and Rich Miller
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Anderson, Neil T., 1942-

Freedom from fear / Neil T. Anderson and Rich Miller.

p. cm.

ISBN 0-7369-0072-1

1. FearReligious aspectsChristianity. 2. Peace of mindReligious aspects

Christianity. I. Miller, Rich, 1954- . II. Title.

BV4908.5.A53 1999
241 .3dc21

99-22506
CIP

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be used in any form without the written permission of the Publisher.

Printed in the United States of America.

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 / BC / 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5

Life is the pursuit,
not the capture.

Scott Anderson, Distant Fires

We dedicate this book to the loving memory of Scott Anderson. Scott overcame every fear and obstacle in becoming the person God created him to be. Scott, an Air National Guard F-16 pilot, husband, and father, was born to fly. He took off March 23, 1999 and landed safely on the other side in the arms of Jesus.

Acknowledgments

No book is ever written in a vacuum. We are indebted to our parents, former teachers, friends, and fellow workers. They have all contributed to who we are and the contents of this book. We want to thank many who have prayed specifically for this project.

We also want to thank Harvest House for trusting us with the message of this book and for the fine work of editing, designing, and marketing. You have always been a delight to work with.

Thank you to all our brothers and sisters in Christ who courageously told us their stories, some of which are in this book, but all of which touched are hearts.

We want to especially thank our wives, Joanne and Shirley, for their encouragement and contribution. We know you bear the burden of such a project as this. Thank you for putting up with us in such a loving way.

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

Contents

by Julianne S. Zuehlke, MS, RN, CS
and Terry E. Zuehlke, PhD, LP

B ut the LORD God called to the man, Where are you? He answered, I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid. (Genesis 3:9, 10 NIV)

In this familiar passage the Bible clearly identifies the first negative feeling that entered the human experience. God, in His omniscience, knew the many stressful feelings we would encounter once sin had entered the realm of our experience. In the Garden, fear was the original disturbing emotion resulting from Adams sense of disobedience and rebellion. Anxiety, fear, and panic that originated at the fall have prevailed ever since. Almost everyone has, at one time, felt helpless in the face of these troubling feelings. Today we are living in the Age of Anxiety.

None of us are beyond the reach of insecurity, self-doubt, and apprehension. In fact, anxiety is among the most prominent emotions treated by psychotropic medications. As Christian professional counselors (Julie is also the director of Care Ministries in a megachurch), the nature and extent of these crippling emotions have been quite apparent in the lives of our clients and church attendees. We know that fear and anxiety, although very common, can be extremely resistant to psychological and/or medical treatment. We frequently work with people caught in issues that seem overwhelming and chaotic to them. They become worried, frightened, and seized with panic. At the root of their issues is a strong sense of disconnection from God and from those in the body of Christ. This sense of isolation and alienation is painful, as is the sense of impatience over how to manage or control the feelings.

Freedom from Fear provides clear answers for those seeking information on how to understand and cope with the feelings of anxiety, fear, and panic. Youll discover how a prevalent lack of understanding of our identity in Christ and our inability to resolve personal and spiritual conflicts are manifest in these specific negative emotions.

It is refreshing to see how Neil Anderson and Rich Miller have focused the general principles of Freedom in Christ on the prominent and powerful problem of negative emotions. This book addresses the origin of mental strongholds, the nature of anxiety, mankinds basic fears, and the problem of panic attacks in a balanced, helpful manner. It then provides strong biblical direction for counselors and clients to use in overcoming anxiety disorders. The conclusion provides a powerful presentation of how an understanding of the fear of the Lord is vital for our Christian growth.

Freedom from Fear is valuable because it is biblically sound and practical. It allows us to move beyond the head knowledge of traditional counseling approaches and offers healing for the soul by providing perspective on our relationships with God through Jesus Christ. It illustrates how we are to revere Him and, in so doing, find in Him a sanctuary from all other fears. Adam didnt have to be afraid of God and try to hide from Him. He could have gone to God, confessed his sin, and experienced forgiveness and peace of mind. When he didnt, God came to Adam in the midst of his fear. God is the source of our freedom from fear, and He wants to minister His truth to you and me. Read this book and you will appreciate His invitation to bring our anxieties, fears, and panicky feelings to Him. He is our Wonderful Counselor, the Great Physician, and Prince of Peace.

A Note from the Authors

In relating true stories and testimonies throughout the book, we have changed names to protect individual 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 (Rich) or I (Neil). The only exceptions are illustrations referring to family.

H ave you ever been so anxious about the uncertainties of tomorrow that you felt keyed up, fatigued, and irritable? You found it difficult to sleep, and you just couldnt relax because your mind was racing and your muscles were tense. Have you ever been paralyzed by fear to the extent that you couldnt carry out your hearts desire? You knew what was right and you wanted to do the right thing, but some unknown fear kept you from doing it. Have you ever had a sudden episode of acute apprehension or 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 with feelings of unreality as though you were going crazy. You might have felt 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 our population. Perhaps you can relate to the following cry for help: