The answer to being controlled by fear and anxiety

Fear and anxiety have been around since the beginning of man. However, they have reached epidemic proportions. So many people are afraid of so much -- some imagined and some realistic. Fear of inflation. Fear of personal safety from being shot or hurt. Fear of not enough food on the table. Fear of illness. The list could go on and on. What is ironic is that in today's America there should be far less fear and anxiety than in more difficult times in history, such as the Great Depression of the 1930s when there was no social safety net, no Social Security, no Medicare, no programs such as welfare if a person falls on hard times. So, why are so many people wrapped up in fear and anxiety? In many ways, the way we perceive the stressful events going on around us dictates if we are controlled by fear and anxiety. There are numerous medications for controlling fear and anxiety but apparently they aren't working very well because so many people still are controlled by these harmful emotions. I say harmful because being controlled by fear and anxiety is harmful to our physical health. It is also harmful to our relationships. When we make decisions out of fear and anxiety, we often won't be thinking as clearly as we should when making important decisions on our behalf and on the behalf of those we love. So, what's the answer? In my own life, while I do sometimes have some fear and anxiety, I have found the answer. A solid faith in Jesus Christ. "Oh, don't give me that religious mumbo-jumbo," I can hear some people saying. But it's true. When Jesus Christ is your foundation, you'll see life from a more eternal perspective. You'll sweat the small stuff less often. When you make Jesus Christ the foundation of your life, He's got your back 24/7/365. That doesn't mean everything is smooth sailing. Those who follow Him are never promised that. But we are promised that He will be with us in our difficult times. What is a further irony is that there are things we all should feel fear and anxiety over -- but most of us don't -- is the fear that should come when we don't have a right relationship with God, our Creator. Why? The writer of Proverbs writes, "The FEAR of the Lord is the beginning of WISDOM." Too many of us fear the wrong things and don't fear the right Thing (Him). We need to fear (revere) God in the sense that we live our lives on His terms, in a matter that He leads. We should be fearful and anxious if we don't have a right relationship with God, We also should fear comitting sin, for sin wreaks havoc on anything it touches. We open up our lives to so much pain we were never intended to experience when we let sin into our lives. However, when we get our lives right with God, our future is heavenbound so there is no need of being filled with fear and anxiety. In conclusion, we as people need to fear the right things, not the wrong things. If we do this, it will change our whole lives for the better. This perspective will set us free and guide our lives to life the life God destines for us.