Roots

A friend of mine sent me an email in response to one of these recent posts pertaining to the monsters of fear and anger within us. She recently learned, from a great Sunday morning message, something else about the resident fear and anger we tend to carry with us. It is definitely worth passing on!

She shared that these two trouble makers are basically rooted in unmet needs. This is a powerful insight that I've been mulling over ever since she emailed me. When a legitimate need in our lives goes unmet, it produces a myriad of emotions that can probably be summed up in frustration and hurt. When we don't know how to properly deal with that frustration and hurt, they go unresolved.

I think this is how fear and anger start to move in and set up camp inside us, becoming our natural and first responses to many things. It's easy to see how a childhood dotted with violation and injury could open the door to the establishment of a fear default.  Likewise a childhood of being ignored by one or both parents, being mistreated and disrespected, opens the door for anger to take up residence and become our default response in life.

In recognizing these roots of our fear and anger, we can begin to bring them to God asking questions about them as we embark with Him on the journey of ridding our inner corridors of these pacing resident monsters.

What am I truly afraid of here, Lord?
Why am I so angry over this, Lord?
Is there an unmet need that has triggered this response?
Am I reacting out of reflex because of a series of unmet needs in my past?
What do You want me to know about my fear (or anger) right now, Lord?

Pausing to ask God these questions and slowing down to listen for His answers, we can find "the help of His presence" (Psalm 42:5), remember that He is for us (Psalm 56:9) and wants to lead us into freedom from the hindrances of fear and anger ( John 10:10 - "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." and Galatians 5:1 - "It was for freedom that Christ set us free, therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.")

As we gain insights as to the roots of our fear or anger, encompassing them in prayer is the next step.

Lord, when I'm feeling vulnerable, neglected or mistreated, help me to run to You as my ever vigilant Father, protector and provider.

Help me to find my shelter in You and realize that how others treat me is not a declaration of my value.

Help me to not let fear run roughshod over my relationships, my days, my joys, and purpose.

Help me to trust You with me. Help me to place my vulnerability into Your hands and to know that I am safe there.