Don't Think About Elephants!

There is an old advice that is given to new mountain bikers where you are told "don’t look at where don’t want to go; look where you do want to go."  Sounds obvious, but what happens is that people see something hazardous coming up -- a cactus, a stump, a barbed wire fence running along the side of the path -- and their focus actually makes them run into the obstacle!  (This happens all the time, and the technical reason is because the act of turning to look at something shifts your weight to turn the bike in that direction.)  So what are supposed to when you see something scary coming up?  Well, look at where you do want to go.

I was reading something that said that telling people "don't be afraid" when they encounter a fearful situation can have the same effect. You say it enough time, and now you all you are thinking about is how afraid you are.  It is one thing to be aware that one should not be afraid, but you don't stop being afraid because you say "don't be afraid."  (How do you get someone to think about an elephant?  Well, tell them, "don't think about an elephant.")  You need something else.

According to Sister Maria in The Sound of Music, when life gives us thunder, we ought to think of 'a few of my favorite things.'  It isn't bad advice, and not far from the biblical one (which makes sense, since she was, after all, a nun).  When God calls upon Joshua to lead the Israelites after Moses (C'mon, really? Those are some big sandals to fill!), He encourages the fearful Joshua by saying "Do not be terrified, and do not be discouraged" but immediately follows it with "For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."  In other words, yes, this is scary, but now, remember something that will take that fear away -- I am with you.


Which is exactly the same thing Jesus tells his disciples in the upper room discourse in John.  Which is exactly the same thing we are told now when we encounter challenging situations that make us hesitate obeying God -- loving a neighbor, telling the necessary truth to someone, forgiving an enemy, etc., etc., etc..

Now stop focusing on the things that make you fear, and turn back.  Look at the path set before you by the One who brought you here.