Children, we are always gripped by the fear of something or the other, and this is killing us every minute. Fear haunts us whether we are awake or asleep. We are afraid to either do or not do something. Fear grips us when we feel that we cannot resolve problems. We magnify the problems that we are facing today and the ones we might face tomorrow, and then we start to worry.
But if we bravely take one step forward, we will see our problems becoming more manageable. We are mostly worried about the future. But if we turn to look at the past, we will see that most of our fears were unfounded.
We need to be grounded in reality. Once we understand the nature of every object, we need not fear it. Fire is needed to cook food, to stave off the cold, to dispel the darkness and for many other things. But if we touch fire, our hand will get burnt. So, if we understand its nature and how to use it properly, we need not fear fire.
Similarly, the scriptures tell us to live with an understanding of the world. If we have a spiritual outlook on life, we will not succumb to fear needlessly. We cannot completely renounce all our needs and desires, but we must curb our desires. If we do not do so, fear will never leave us.
A man took a loan with interest to build a house, but was unable to repay it. The interest accumulated to such an extent that even if he sold the house, he would not be able to repay his debt. If he had prudently thought about how to repay the loan before taking it, he could have avoided this predicament. Therefore, we must distinguish between needs and luxuries.
Overwhelming fear does more harm than good. Fear can petrify the mind and hinder our ability to act. Two children were swimming in a pool. They were accompanied by one of their mothers. They were at the shallow end of the pool where the water was only two feet deep. The children were four feet tall, and so there was no question of them drowning there.
However, within minutes of their entering the pool, one of the boys started drowning and began to cry for help. Seeing this, the mother of the other boy lifted him up and said, “Look, your friend is swimming fearlessly. Why did you panic?”
The child said, “I became frightened when I thought that no one would rescue me if I started drowning. My legs became wobbly and I began to feel dizzy. Then I collapsed.”
The woman asked her son, “Why is it that you had no fear?”
“You were nearby. I knew that if I started drowning, you would lift me out of the water. So, I had no fear,” replied the son. Faith in his mother gave the boy self-confidence, and awoke his innate abilities. Swimming became a joyful experience for him.
The benefit of having faith in God is similar. We must trust that the Almighty is always watching over us and will come to our rescue if any danger befalls us. That faith will give us the strength to face life courageously. When faith and discernment come together, fear disappears.