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about his panic attacks, and this often
happens, is that they occur when things
seem, on the surface at least, to be
going normally. Panic attacks can happen
when you’re enjoying a movie, or during
a pleasant dinner, or when you’re
driving and listening to some uplifting
music on the radio. They don’t always
descend on us when we’re in the midst
of our anxieties and worries.
Anyway, he had a panic attack in a
restaurant while he was with Christian
friends enjoying a meal. He found it
difficult to breathe and was physically
ill. That’s why we started speaking
together about it.
To reinforce the
command, He also
gives us promises
like ‘I will never
leave you nor
forsake you’.
way. So it’s a good time to ask
ourselves: “What is my heart really
saying? Am I more concerned about my
own reputation than God’s? Do I
believe that He will give me grace for
today? Is there something that I love
more than God and I am fearful of
losing it?” These are the sort of
questions that stressed people ought to
ask. Of course, we may not be able to
avoid the stress but we can always go to
the default position of calling out,
“Jesus, help me!”
God commands us not to fear more
than any other command. Is that
significant?
I just love how the Lord is happy to
repeat Himself. In this case, His
reiteration tells us that fear is so
common. It also shows that God is
patient and compassionate and that we
forget that He cares for us. To reinforce
the command, He also gives us
promises like “I will never leave you nor
forsake you”. Also, as Presbyterians we
should notice that God’s covenants –
especially His renewal of the covenant –
has our fears in view. Noah’s covenant
is a case in point. It addresses the issue,
“What’s going to happen next time
there’s a cloud in the sky?” The answer
God gives Noah is: “Don’t be afraid,
although you have reason to be. Here’s
My sign – a rainbow. Every time you
see it, you know that I will not destroy
you in a flood.” Again, the Lord’s
Supper is a sign that God will not cast
us away forever because of our sin.
Is there any underlying attitude that
we need to have that might protect us
against fears?
I’ve been meditating on Psalm 131 and
I think it has an important message. It
reminds us that all our biblical
strategies for dealing with fear must be
combined with humility. Psalm 131
says that we mustn’t concern ourselves
with matters that are too great for us –
we must be humble in the face of God.
Ultimately, in every situation we need
to be able to say, “Lord, you are God
and I am not. I cannot understand Your
ways but I will honour You by being a
child who trusts in You.” Even the most
comforting promises of Scripture, until
they are animated by child-like
humility, do not bring the depth of
comfort that God affords. We need to
be able to say, “Lord, you are God,
and you can do what you please. Your
plan is good and whether I can see it
or not is beside the point.” I think
that humility is the greatest gift for
fearful people.
How should we deal with the fear of
death?
A couple of years ago a friend of
mine, a pastor, was diagnosed with a
terminal melanoma. I remember the
day he went to the doctor’s to get his
pathology report, which he knew
would not be good. So I went to his
house and waited for him to return.
Suddenly he walked in the door and I
started crying. He said to me, “Ed,
nothing has changed.” In one sense
that wasn’t strictly true. Everything
had changed. He had two young
children and a wife who would be left
alone when he was gone. So
everything did change with that
prognosis.
However, what he meant was that he
still believed that God was good, that
God was with him, that God’s
promises are true and all God’s
purposes would be perfectly fulfilled.
In that sense, nothing had changed.
I’ve often thought that when it comes
to death, that’s what I want to be able
to say. If for some reason my own
death is something I anticipate before
it happens, rather than happening
unexpectedly, my hope is that I will
be as convinced as my friend that
God was good when I was well as He
is good during my suffering. To use
the words of Job, “The Lord gives and
the Lord takes away. Blessed be the
name of the Lord.” I’m praying that
that’s what I will have manna to do
when that time comes.
As editor of Australian Presbyterian for
the last 14 years, Peter Hastie designed
the interview format that has
characterised this magazine. Although
he can no longer continue as editor
due to his appointment as principal of
the Presbyterian Theological College
of Victoria, he has kindly consented
to contribute interviews to future issues
of AP.
6
AP
So the question is, is there anything
you can do to deal with those physical
symptoms? In theory, there are some
things you can do. The world
specialises in ways to calm us physically.
“Breathe into a paper bag”, or they will
get you to use a bit of logic – “OK, I’ve
been here before. I didn’t die in the
past and I’m not likely to die now.” But
I think for most people, the key is to
persevere in the midst of something
that doesn’t endure for a very long
period of time –it can go for a few
minutes, and not normally much more
than that.
Just a little more about my friend. I
asked him, “What was going through
your mind when you were being sick
outside?” He said, “One thing: Jesus
help me!” I gave him a big hug and
said, “You are my hero.” I believed that
if this man immediately and
instinctively said, “Jesus help me!” then
that is a mark of true sanctification.
Does the presence of stress provide any
clues about the unconscious fears that
may be driving us?
Yes, it does. Emotions are the language
of the heart. They tell us what we both
love and fear. When we are stressed
there is usually fear involved in some