Fear and Need

Edward Welch's book Running Scared is excellent. He deals with fear, worry and the God of rest. He challenges us to listen to our fears to hear what they say about ourselves. Fears tell us that we are in danger, that we are vulnerable to that danger and that we have a great need. Here is an important thought to ponder:

Another way of expressing our personal vulnerability is through our experience of need. There is a close connection between what we fear and what we think we need.

If we need comfort, we will fear physical pain.
If we need approval from others, we will fear being criticized.
If we need love, we will fear rejection.
If we need admiration for our attractiveness, we will fear getting fat.

Whatever you need is a mere stone's throw from what you fear.
Two prominent categories of fear are those fears related to money and people. Their power to provoke fear is directly related to how much we need them. If we need what people can give us, they are in control and we will fear them. If we need what money can give us, we will notice rising insecurities whenever we do the bills. (p. 41)