A Lesson from Ancient Wisdom: Conquering Fear, Then and Now

Fear is a fundamental emotion deeply embedded within us, serving as a crucial survival instinct, always ready to signal danger or potential harm. However, fear also possesses the paradoxical ability to hinder our lives, keeping us from reaching our full potential. This article explores the duality of fear, emphasizing that while we cannot erase the sources of our fears – heartache, job loss, natural disasters, disease, and death – we can indeed conquer them.

The Inseparable Bond with Fear

Fear is an emotion as old as humanity itself, an evolutionary adaptation that has persistently helped us navigate the complex world we live in. Without fear, our very existence would be in jeopardy. It is the guardian that warns us against endangering ourselves and others.

In today's world, anxiety, a common form of fear, often takes center stage. It is characterized by the fear of the future, an apprehension of hypothetical scenarios that may or may not come to pass. Anxiety, though seemingly relentless, can be overcome.

The Timeless Lesson from an Old Tale: The Bronze Serpent Story

This compelling lesson on conquering fear comes from an ancient story in the Old Testament, found in the Book of Numbers, which offers profound insights into the human struggle with fear. The story recounts the plight of the Israelites, a group of people chosen by God, who had escaped their enslavement in Egypt and were wandering through the desert in search of a new home – a place they could call their own.

The Israelites' journey through the desert was anything but a pleasant stroll. They found themselves in a challenging predicament, torn between the past they knew in Egypt and the new home they hoped to find in Jerusalem. Frustration and impatience began to brew as they traversed the vast wilderness, grappling with uncertainty and fear.

Divine Response to a Plea

Amid their hardships, the Israelites grew despondent, and they turned to their leader, Moses, to intercede on their behalf. In their plea for relief, they implored Moses to ask God for respite from their suffering.

In a surprising twist, the response from God was not one of immediate comfort but involved sending venomous serpents among the Israelites. These serpents, with their deadly bites, struck fear into the hearts of the people. Many were bitten and fell ill, and some lost their lives.

The Bronze Serpent: A Symbol of Healing

The Israelites soon realized that their complaints and impatience had led to this affliction. In their remorse, they turned back to Moses, acknowledging their mistake and asking for a solution. Moses, with their plea in mind, once again prayed to God.

God's answer was to create a bronze serpent and place it on a staff. An interesting aspect of this solution was that it was not the elimination of the very source of their fear, the live serpents, but the creation of a symbol. When an Israelite was bitten by a venomous serpent, they were to look upon this bronze serpent, and miraculously, they would be spared from death.

The Profound Lesson: Confronting Fear Voluntarily

This biblical story contains a crucial lesson on conquering fear. The act of voluntarily looking at the very thing that frightened the Israelites – symbolized by the bronze serpent – was the key. Importantly, this had to be a voluntary act, demonstrating that when individuals choose to face the fears in their lives, they can overcome them.

By choosing to confront these fears, despite the terror they may invoke, the power these fears held over the Israelites was shattered. They went from being helpless victims to active participants in their own healing.

The Enduring Relevance of the Bronze Serpent Story

The story of the bronze serpent remains relevant today because it beautifully illustrates the idea that confronting our fears, even in small, manageable increments, allows us to regain control and diminish the power these fears hold over us. Just as the bronze serpent offered salvation to the Israelites in their moment of need, the story serves as a timeless reminder that we, too, have the power to conquer our fears, no matter how insurmountable they may seem.