I was at a meeting today where a member shared about his anxieties and fears regarding events happening here in Denver. I wanted to grab him and tell him there is a solution—because in my own life I’ve had some victory in overcoming fear.

The literature says that fear is a manifestation of self that can easily lead to acting out. It also says that fear is an instinct. So it’s normal to feel fear. What matters is how one deals with it.

When I harbor fear, I’m essentially saying that I don’t trust how God is running my life. I’m taking back my Step Three decision to turn my will and my life over to the care of God as I understand Him. Worse, when I act out of fear—when my actions are controlled by fear—I am no longer capable of choosing to do God’s will and am instead acting based on my will. And I’ve already learned that things quickly go downhill when I’m running the show.

Many times I’ve found that fear hides behind anger. I’ll find myself getting irritated, angry, or upset and then take a moment to figure out what’s going on inside my head (a mini-Tenth Step). I let go of the anger, only to find that I was angry because I was afraid that something bad would happen to me—typically because things weren’t going the way I wanted them to go. Then I pray that wonderful prayer, “Thy will, not mine, be done.” I have to make a decision to let go of the fear and trust that God knows how to run my life. And the fear goes away, at least for the moment.