After completing a searching and fearless inventory of our resentments, we will continue Step 4 with an honest look at any fear that remains in our lives. Step 4 in the program of Alcoholics Anonymous continues similarly:
“We reviewed our fears thoroughly. We put them on paper, even though we had no resentment in connection with them. We asked ourselves why we had them. Wasn't it because self-reliance failed us? Self-reliance was good as far as it went, but it didn't go far enough. Some of us once had great self-confidence, but it didn't fully solve the fear problem, or any other. When it made us cocky, it was worse.”
“Perhaps there is a better way -
we think so. For we are now on a
different basis; the basis of trusting and relying upon God. We trust infinite God rather than our finite
selves. We are in the world to play the
role He assigns. Just to the extent
that we do as we think He would have us, and humbly rely on Him, does He enable
us to match calamity with serenity.”
“We never apologize to anyone
for depending upon our Creator. We can
laugh at those who think spirituality the way of weakness. Paradoxically, it is the way of
strength. The verdict of the ages is
that faith means courage. All men of
faith have courage. They trust their
God. We never apologize for God. Instead we let Him demonstrate, through us,
what He can do. We ask Him to remove
our fear and direct our attention to what He would have us be. At once, we commence to outgrow fear.”
--Alcoholics
Anonymous p. 68
I have added “Review of Fears” pages to this study. We will review our fears the same way that we looked at our resentments: Listing them (Column 1,) writing a brief description of why we have a particular fear (Column 2,) looking at what part of self is threatened and causing the fear (Column 3,) and then admitting what part we play in keeping the fear alive (Column 4.)
Our human fears usually stem from three basic ideas or concerns. They are: “I’m going to lose what I’ve got,” “I’m not going to get what I want,” or, “They’re going to find out what I’ve done.” We will get to the “They’re going to find out what I’ve done” problem in Step 9 when we make amends for what we have done, but for now we will look at what scripture says about fear --and it’s common manifestations of worry, distress and anxiety. We will start with what Jesus had to say about worry:
Matthew 6:25-34 – "Therefore I tell you, do not
worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you
will wear. Is not life more important
than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not
sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds
them. Are you not much more valuable
than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour
to his life? 28 "And why do you worry about
clothes? See how the lilies of the
field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29
Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed
like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the
field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not
much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 So do not worry, saying, `What shall we
eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' 32
For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father
knows that you need them. 33 But seek first His kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Fear usually results when we stop trusting God with our lives, or when we have taken back the decision we made in Step 3. When we experience fear, or it’s common manifestations of worry, distress, and anxiety, we must return to Step 3 and turn our will and our life over to the care of God again. Then, we have to trust Him, believe that our life is in His hands, and that He loves us. Remember: God is for us!
I like to look up towards the sky and tell Him, “I trust You,” or “I trust You with my life, God,” or “My life is Yours, God. I only want what You want.” That helps me tremendously, and I do it over and over throughout the day when a particular fear is really bothering me.
Psalms 55:22 – Cast your cares on the LORD and He will
sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.
Isaiah 41:10 – So
do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will
uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Psalms 34:8 – Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.
God has not only said that we are blessed when we are trusting Him, He says that we are cursed when we are only trusting in ourselves (self-reliance.)
Jeremiah 17:5-8 – This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. 6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. 7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. 8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes;
If our minds and hearts are filled with fear, worry, distress and anxiety, our minds and hearts cannot be filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. It is very important that we identify any fears that remain in us and ask God to remove them.
1 John 4:15-19 – If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17 In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like Him. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Philippians 4:6-7 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
1 Peter 5:6-7 –
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift
you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on Him because He
cares for you.
Hebrews 12:2 – Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author
and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross,
scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6
Step 7 | Step 8 | Step 9 | Step 10 | Step 11 | Step 12