Watch Chris Hall’s Overcoming Fear with Courage here.
In this session we consider fear, “something all human beings struggle with at some time or another.” Sometimes fear is rational, but often it is a what if? style, worrying about things we have no control over.
Chris introduces us to Dorotheus of Gaza and his teaching that the closer we draw near to God, the closer we draw near to one another. We are asked to trust God’s love, the wonder and beauty of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit in us to help us find the courage to face what needs to be faced.
Small Group Leaders: Equipment Required
1. What did you hear?
The study group leader picks up the pebble and shares what resonated and what brought up resistance. One sentence for each. No comments, no questions. The study group leader then passes the pebble to their neighbor.
When a group member is holding the pebble, it is their turn to share if they want to—everyone should be given the courtesy of being listened to without judgment or comment but remember, one sentence for each. If a group member does not wish to share anything then they can simply pass the pebble to their neighbor.Some people may not be comfortable passing an object around the group. You may want to provide hand sanitizer for everyone to use before and / or after touching the pebble. However, please also feel free to find more creative ways to pass on the right to share without interruption.
2. What are you thinking?
After you have all had the chance to share your initial impressions you can open up the group for discussion.
a. How much are you governed by fear? What things cause anxiety? Are you in real danger, or is it worry about the unknown and uncertain?
Note to leader: It may be hard for some participants to admit the answer to this question. You might want to discuss in pairs rather than in the big group, or even just have everyone use the pen and paper to write it down.
b. Chris shares a time when he was overcome by an irrational fear of flying as a result of an unrelated traumatic event in his life. He suggests that the connection between the two things was lack of control. Can you relate at all to his experience? What was helpful to you at the time?
c. Where are the areas in your life that you have said to God, “This far and no further?” What do you need in order to move beyond your comfort zone?
3. Reflecting on Scripture
Chris says that Dorotheus would encourage us to “dive into the wonder and beauty of Jesus” in order to be able to “love safely, sanely, and powerfully.”
Dallas Willard taught that we are perfectly safe in the Kingdom of God. How can that be?
How do these Scriptures help us grasp what Dorotheus and Dallas meant?
Finish by reading Ephesians 3:14–21.
Luke 12:22–31All Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
22 Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
27 “Consider how the wildflowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:9–13
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’
I John 4:16–18
16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Ephesians 3:14–21
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Discuss your experiences in the group; then you are invited to try the practices at home before the next session. Please take a copy of the study guide with you as a reminder
Feedback
Did you try any of the practices from the previous session? What was helpful? What wasn’t?
Silence, Stillness, Stability, and Sabbath
I hope that you may have settled into a rhythm of silence and stillness, staying with what you discover about yourself and about God, and practicing sabbath—but if not, it is not too late to start. It is never too late to start.
The suggestions from Chris and Dorotheus in this session are to:
Immerse yourself in the Gospels
It can be hard to let go of a Bible reading plan if you use such things—but why not move out of your comfort zone and spend time just exploring the Gospels instead? I have made a few suggestions below:
Why not try:
Move benond your comfort zone
This challenge is a wide one!
As you spend time in silence and solitude and as you walk with Christ in the Gospels, listen to God’s invitation to step out a little further in faith.
Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you where, when and how?
Have participants pray the following prayer together at the end of the session.
Prayer of Yielding
Matthew 6:9–13
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.”
Amen
Fear is not traditionally classified as a sin. However, a vice can be defined as something that hinders life from running well—just as virtues are “habits or dispositions of character that help us live well as human beings.”Konyndyk DeYoung, Rebecca, Glittering Vices: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins and Their Remedies. (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2009), 108. In this context, it makes sense for fear to be on the list.
The enneagram traditionally describes fear as being the defining emotion of the head triad; 5, 6, and 7.
Head people are straightforward and unpretentious people who have—or try to have—a logical approach to life. They are forward planners who are focused on seeing and mastering their environment. Head people have a love of learning and of ideas, of new things—especially gadgets. Head energy comes from within, from the inner life of the mind: inner guidance and self-support are a prerequisite for engaging with the world. Head types are gentle, courteous, and friendly people who want to fit in but not to dominate. They have few personal needs and are good at meeting the needs they do have. They tend to assume that the people around them can do the same and so are able to give others space. Head people have a sense of order and of duty. They reflect God’s wisdom, faithfulness, and forethought.
Head people actively avoid aggression. In fact, they are rarely comfortable with passionate emotion of any sort. They guard their privacy, often hiding their emotions behind a mask of objectivity. Head people analyze everything, consciously taking a step back from emotion to reflect before acting. They are focused on security and survival. They methodically look for solutions but, paradoxically, are very bad at putting solutions into practice—possibly because there is always potential for a better plan. Head people are concerned about the future, wanting to be prepared, to be self-sufficient. and to minimize pain. Constant overthinking is associated with fear or worry. Head people ask themselves, “Where am I?”Rohr, Richard and Andreas Ebert, The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective, Peter Heinegg, trans. (New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 2001). (Am I competent? Am I safe?) and their temptation is to believe I am what I have (to keep me safe).Heuertz, Christopher L., The Sacred Enneagram: Finding Your Unique Path to Spiritual Growth (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017).
Fear is the acknowledged province of the head types in general and the Six in particular. Nevertheless, there are basic fears associated with each of the types. The Riso and HudsonRiso, Don Richard and Russ Hudson, The Wisdom of the Enneagram: The Complete Guide to Psychological and Spiritual Growth for the Nine Personality Types (New York: Bantam Books, 1999). descriptions are in italics below and illustrate how these fears hinder living well:
Ones fear imperfection: being bad, corrupt, evil or defective.
However, their desire for integrity deteriorates into critical perfectionism.
Twos fear uselessness: being unworthy of being loved.
However, their desire to be loved deteriorates into the need to be needed.
Threes fear failure: being worthless or without inherent value.
However, their desire to be valuable deteriorates into chasing after success.
Fours fear ordinariness: being without identity or personal significance.
However, their desire to be oneself deteriorates into self-indulgence.
Fives fear emptiness being useless, incapable or incompetent.
However, their desire to be competent deteriorates into useless specialization.
Sixes fear fear itself: being without support or guidance.
However, their desire to be secure deteriorates into an attachment to beliefs.
Sevens fear pain: being deprived or trapped in pain.
However, their desire to be happy deteriorates into frenetic escapism.
Eights fear weakness: being harmed or controlled by others
However, their desire to protect oneself deteriorates into constant fighting
Nines fear conflict: loss of connection, of fragmentation
However, their desire to be at peace deteriorates into stubborn neglectfulness.
6: The Loyalist/The Guardian/The Doubter
Sixes feel good about themselves when they are secure and they have done their duty. That might be when they’ve done something that overcomes their fear. They consider themselves to be loyal and would be very anxious if you thought otherwise
Sixes could well say:
“What if . . . ?
Sixes are unlikely to say:
“I have no idea where the fire exit is.”
Sixes are practical, loyal, and dependable. They are very good at noticing risks in the environment and flaws in any plan; making them excellent in a health or safety role. They are hospitable people who care for the good of the group and do their duty even at personal cost. They make the best of friends.
Sixes fear being left without guidance or support as they doubt themselves. They need to understand any hierarchy so they can fit in and know the rules so they can keep them. This leads to the vice of the six which is fear. Sixes react with flight or fight; either scared to upset authority or defiant risk takers. An individual Six may use either strategy, depending on circumstance
Sixes can be so cautious that they abdicate responsibility for decision making and instead enthrone some other voice as trusted authority; for example, rules, leaders, or a particular set of beliefs which they follow rigidly.
When they don’t feel secure, Sixes may overwork to block feelings of anxiety or numb themselves with alcohol, drugs, mindless television, or other suitable distractions. They slide easily toward the negative aspects of the Three; for example, adapting themselves to fit in, avoiding new things in case they fail, blaming others, and becoming competitive or self-promoting.
Hope for the Six comes from trusting:
This could involve to:
“Sixes have lost sight of the truth that God can be trusted in all circumstances and that we can put our confidence in him.”Widdows, Becky and Margi Walker, God-shaped people: UK Enneagram course.
When a Six opens up to the undeserved grace of God they start to realize his faithful presence; both within and without them. When they grasp the fact that they are truly loved and that there is nothing they can do that will make God love them less, the virtue of courage grows. Virtuous Sixes acknowledge fear, find their inner strength and have faith in God, so they can begin to trust themselves.