Fear And Faith

[Fluttering]

I have heard it said many many times that fear and faith cannot co-exist. For some time I quoted the same words in an attempt to expel the many fears that come up in my life. The fears kept returning...often with more and more vengence and I thougth I was doing something wrong or not doing something that caused the fear to recurr over and over again. I spoke with another member ...much to my surprise I discovered another perspective...

He said to me..."Faith is the courage that allows us to walk through the fear" and further explained that as I walk through the fear my faith deepens. It is only when I allow the fear to immobize me or to paralyze me into nonaction that keeps me from using the tool of "FAITH". I can remian hibernated and closed off from being on the front lines or I can choose to walk through it and increase and deepen my faith.

What a concept. I hadn't thoguth about it that way. Thank God there are individuals to share with and to gain ESH to pass on to others

[breatheeasy]

Absolutely! I like the way you put it. I used to get confused because yes, you hear, "Fear is a lack of faith," but also in the Basic Text it says something about Courage not being the absence of fear, but rather walking through it regardless. Those two seemed to be a little contradictory to me, at first. But if I keep things simple, it makes sense, like everything in the program. It is not that we are NEVER fearful, but when fear presents itself, we walk through it with faith. And this is courage!