Christian leaders the only thing to be afraid of is fear, or is it?

PANTOPHOBIA.

I come across many Christian Leaders who are afraid to talk about their weaknesses, things like depression or stress or marriage problems. This has prompted me in the past to blog about these things, giving advice where I can. But the other day I was challenged to talk about my own frailties.

So here goes; I suffer from PANTOPHOBIA. There I have admitted it, boy, does that make me feel as though a heavy weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Now for my English friends PANTOPHOBIA does not mean I am afraid of Christmas pantomimes, nor for my American friends am I "acting out", No PANTOPHOBIA is much more serious. It means that I have an irrational fear of EVERYTHING.

I fear that the world will come to an end through global climate change in a hundred years. I fear that Gay rights activists will gain power and ban heterosexual marriage in revenge for years of none recognition. I fear that politicians will finally listen to their electorates and give everybody exactly what they want. I fear that my children will not love me anymore. I fear that the State and their teachers will love my children more and discipline them and tell them that their parents are wrong. I fear that I will have nowhere to live, no new clothes to wear and no food to eat. I fear that my new mobile/cell phone Galaxy 8.0 will burn in my pocket and I will be left a pile of smouldering ash on the sidewalk. I fear that tolerance will be so common place, that the only thing wrong will be me, because I fear that I have an opinion different to everybody else. There is so much more that I fear that I could share with you, but I am afraid you will get bored and just switch off.

If I am so afraid of everything why am I not a blithering wreak or a wobbly lump of offencive jelly? The answer is simple, FAITH, I have faith that my God, creator of the universe has everything under control. I believe his word when he tells me to "Fear not", in fact in the Bible he has told me 366 times not to be afraid. I believe him.

I am not afraid to talk about stress and burnout, or depression or marital issues. Nor am I afraid to talk about other things I fear. This does not make me a weaker Christian leader in the eyes of those I may lead. It makes me human.

The Bible says: For God did not give us a spirit of FEAR, but a spirit of POWER, of LOVE and of SELF DISCIPLINE. (2 Tim 1:7)

I am getting far too old to worry and be afraid about what people think of me. GOD is on my side I have nothing to lose.

Food for thought maybe?

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