Irrational Fears: Navigating Fear Through Faith
I have something I’m going to admit. I have an irrational fear. I am a side sleeper; naturally, my hand and arm slip under my pillow at night. But I have this weird fear about my hand dangling over the gap between the mattress and the headboard. I imagine something lurking under the bed, watching that gap and waiting to grab me. Now, of course, that’s highly unlikely. If anything were indeed there, it could crawl into the bed itself! Still, the fear lingers. Maybe you’ve had moments like these, where the improbable feels all too real.
Fear is a powerful and innate response designed by God to preserve life. It’s something every person experiences, yet not all fears are rational. Humans sometimes encounter strange fears that are unlikely to occur or cause any actual harm. But logical or not, they can grip us, control us, and distort our perception of reality if not kept in check.
Strange Phobias
There’s a world of bizarre phobias out there. Take arachibutyrophobia, for example—the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of one’s mouth. Or nomophobia, the anxiety people feel when they don’t have their mobile phone nearby. My personal favorite is hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia — the fear of long words, which is ironically one of the longest words in the dictionary. Good luck pronouncing that one, by the way. While these fears might seem absurd to some, they can cause genuine distress for those who experience them.
Phobias become life-altering when they interfere with daily activities. They are irrational precisely because they amplify scenarios that, although conceivable, are extraordinarily improbable.
The Purpose of Fear and the Trust in God
Psychologists often argue that fear is a development of evolution—a mechanism for survival. Yet, because the Bible teaches that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14), I believe fear is God-designed and instilled in us to react to danger and help keep us safe. The Bible speaks to both the protective and irrational nature of fear.
Psalm 46 uses the vivid image of mountains crumbling into the sea. It’s unlikely that such an event would occur, and most scholars agree this is a metaphor for political upheaval. Nonetheless, it’s a striking image rooted in reality—after all, coastal cliffs sometimes do collapse into the sea. It’s not impossible, just improbable. Like many of our fears, the psalm uses an exaggerated metaphor that speaks to a more profound truth.
Psalm 46:1–3 (NLT) declares: “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!”
When we encounter rational or irrational fear, it can sometimes feel exactly like what David described. Some fear can feel like the very earth is moving beneath our feet, and the mountains are sliding into the waters. But when it comes to facing fear, we have a choice. We can allow it to hinder us or respond in faith, as David modeled, trusting God even when the world seems to crumble.
The Visual Cliff Experiment
I’ve always been fascinated by a classic psychological study from the 1960s called the Visual Cliff Experiment. In this experiment designed to study how early babies develop depth perception, infants were placed on a raised platform with a patterned surface. Half of the platform created the illusion of a deep drop-off—a visual “cliff.” In reality, there was a glass surface across the drop-off. When the caregiver stood on the other side of the drop-off and encouraged the infant to come to them, sometimes holding out toys, the question was whether the baby would cross the drop-off.
Almost all the babies stopped at the edge of the drop-off, and the study noted that they looked to the caregiver for cues about what to do. If the caregiver was encouraging and smiling, babies would usually crawl right out into thin air toward them. But when caregivers looked anxious or worried, the infants hesitated.
In essence, the babies were being asked whether they were willing to walk on what appeared to be thin air. This experiment illustrates a key to facing a genuine fear. Depth perception is placed inside of our children so they don’t march themselves off into a drop-off. And many of the fears we face in our walk with God resemble this. “Surely God doesn’t want me to make this decision and step into thin air!” But as believers, we take our cues from our Heavenly Father, the Ultimate Caregiver. The closer we are to Him, the more confident we become. We can put our foot out and walk on air.
The story of Peter walking on water is similar to the Visual Cliff Experiment (Mark 6:45). Peter locked eyes with Jesus, who encouraged him to come out of the boat. And Peter stepped out into the impossible.
Distinguishing Between Rational and Irrational Fears
It’s important to understand the difference between rational and irrational fears. A rational fear, such as being cautious around an aggressive animal, serves to protect us. An irrational fear, like being terrified of an unlikely disaster or an imaginary monster under the bed, warps our perception. It’s a reaction to something that poses minimal real-world risk but feels overwhelming in the moment.
God’s Assurance in the Midst of Fear
The Bible offers reassurance for those dealing with fear. God’s words are filled with encouragement not to be afraid—whether those fears are rational or irrational. Isaiah 41:10 says: “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you.”
Trusting in God provides a secure foundation against the irrational fears that seek to destabilize us. Just like the babies in the visual cliff experiment, when we keep our eyes on God, we find the courage to face what seems impossible.
Navigating Fear with Faith
Fear is an intrinsic part of life, sometimes protective and sometimes deceptive. The key is learning to navigate it through faith. By trusting God, we can discern which fears warrant action and which ones we must walk through, knowing He holds us. Whether facing the literal cliffs of life or the metaphorical ones, keep your eyes on the One who has the power to call you to walk on air.
