Calming Your Fears

This is Jim Daly before we get our regular schedule program with never had a great conversation with the Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo and I thought you would find it interesting. So before we get to Deborah. Let's play a few minutes of my conversation with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Mr. Sec., welcome back to Focus on the Family today. Let's start with the creed of the State Department. I know you know it. If you can indulge me for the listeners. I'll read it quickly. The State Department mission is to create a more secure, democratic and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community from where you're sitting. Are we achieving that goal. Everyday leadership at home about make America great again. We were delivering that were delivering it by doing things we need to do here in this challenging time to push back against those who generated the fire to the place of the came from and will on understand what happened so that we can solve this ongoing crisis we been very focused on trying to get the Chinese coming starting to open up to get transparency so we can see we need the save lives and get our economy going back again, but all around the world. We have made clear. America is prepared to lead me to do the right things we we have a nation founded on this central document that permits us to pursue life, liberty and happiness for our people and when we do that we do that wealthy department delivers that all across the Willamette redounds to the benefit of every American that sure does so grateful and appreciative for the work that you do.

Obviously, in the present trumps leadership in that regards.

Let me ask you pick up with the tech company was Google. To be honest and now they tighten down a lot of their filters etc. but in the course of correcting that is we got on the line with some people at Google I was talking to actually Christian who works there, Google, and he lamented the fact of how dark it can be what humanity does to each other and he sees it every day and they're trying to filter these things out. I would imagine is the Secretary of State.

You probably get a window into the darkness of humanity as well. Don't you like time I director and now that I have seen that same place where there wasn't a lot of hopeful people on this material planet where the leadership treated them so poorly you can see it with the million Uighurs that are detained in the western part of China just because of their faith. You can see it in the pockets of the world, but often assumed to have seen a lot of places where I know the Lord's work. Whether there is help, even where the physical world may be difficult. The country may be poured, and maybe real oppression from the government that I will I watch I humanity I recognize the dignity of every human being is because our State Department and I could see I can. I also see a lot of good thing.

So while it certainly the case that there is darkness out there that the Bible talks about that right into the beginning.

There is darkness.

I also see that there are people love not only pushes the people of other faiths to have found a way.

And who can do an act in a way that's consistent with the ideals that I know you and I both hold still and I think about it a course I know you finish number one West Point so I was at Cal State San Bernardino so I'm shaking a little bit ask you this question. When you think about it Aristotle, Plato, these people these philosophers that try to get down to what is truth what is truth really actually about.

That's another thing that you you have a unique exposure to when nations are trying to manipulate and twist and turn as a person of faith have those words register with you when you talk about what is truth like Pontius Pilate. What is truth and our leaders around the world who used a section in relation to deny that they are test with bleeding. I see it all the time. I see nations of the chosen path or propaganda and disinformation of the things that accrete them power and social status. One of the blessings of working in America is that you get a chance to be part of this conversation, where the media holds us accountable where we have an obligation to tell the truth or the American people get to see it all in all its glory, and a way that issues with some of our tech companies, Google include where we were concerned about what they were doing in terms of blocking information and content to think they won't be evenhanded in the way they do it but I must say when I watch what takes place inside of other countries where they are denied that information, whether it's inside of North Korea or inside China today when they don't have access to basic information you see bad things happen in a world war in one of those moments where the Chinese Communist Party tried to suppress information about the fire is about where it began about how it started about how it was being transmitted from human to human, indeed plugged the World Health Organization to further that storyline when you see the absence of truth and of people who are prepared to say no. Sometimes it's I don't know, but often to say look usual working on it. Here's what we know and will keep working at it. You see that this is why democracies prevail into our founders were so ingenious that's why I'm convinced that America is the greatest civilization in the history of mankind will continue to prosper you know it's difficult when you when you were at the pinnacle of diplomacy for the country and yet you're a believer in Christ and you see this, it's gotta be the long-range goal is to say how do I move the nation along toward vulnerability toward visibility, transparency, weakness are all good things, but it must be extremely frustrating to be in the process of trying to help a nation whether China or any nation you're working with to evolve in such a way that they can be more transparent. It's that the biblical analogy is so obvious that human beings, we try to cover up errors and mistakes. It's the garden that's what happened to Adam and Eve right. But how do you maintain a good attitude that there is a better place for all of us to get to and then going to work every day trying to get there when you're getting arrows thrown at you all the time, I will. I am by nature a lawyer but a happy lawyer and so I tried to walk in every day and I fail at this point, we all fall short, but I try to walk in this summit is working on this with joy. I am Christian, so I have a belief that I understand what it is that were being asked to do here.

Through God's grace, but I know my responsibility to the Constitution and my duty and so I just get this incredible privilege to serve as America's chief diplomat, then I stare at the challenges around the world. I know that I can't make them all right tomorrow but my team at the State Department and all of the leaders in our government work every day try move the ball for just a little bit Jimmy's previous to that on religious freedom because it would been very committed to not every country is at the same level week. We acknowledge that our mission set is to bring everybody little bit further to give every human being that chance to worship to practice their faith, exercise their conscience in the way that they want to and it's been glorious to be part of making the world a little bit more religiously free. We have a long ways to go but I am confident that with our continued efforts we can improve it well and I'm grateful as a Christian that the president and his administration including you have the courage to do that some people would consider that partisan.I don't care if a Democrat were to do that I'd support them to you know and emotionally and be thankful for that support.

I hope more Democrats and Republicans agree to religious freedom is not my my experience with religious treatment is not remotely partisan great with side Democrats worked like black people of multiple faith of watch this for those who understand its importance.

The centrality that is to every human being being respected for their humanness that doesn't have a D or an R and as it is the way that America ought to operate the way the world ought to operate. If we can get going right so troops let me couple of other questions.

One is just the generosity of the American spirit. I mean, I think I've seen a number like $6.5 billion have been given internationally by US citizens, private companies, etc. again the head to the lead person on our diplomacy side that has to make a bit proud that Americans know how to be generous, especially Latin America. Other places 6.5 billion is a lot of money to come out of our pockets to help other people. We don't know we have a lot that continued in the current administration I were enormously generous people, $6.5 billion is more than any other nation gives were just that, that's who we are as Americans like it does make me very proud of it when I see it without goodness America's not leaning America set out in front trying to solve this pandemic or whatever it may be the truth of the American people are always out there on the edge trying to get it right. It's not just that money we have faith-based organizations all across the world coming from America traveling to difficult places on mission trips and to go to work the Lord's work around the world. It is remarkable to see that American spirit in an place I get a chance to travel and see it from time to time and always it's always incredibly heartening to me and when I talked to my colleagues around the world. They know they know that Americans are good and generous people. That's very good, and it is the character of God.

It's his heart that generosity is good to see people, both of faith in people not of faith operate with that.

Let me let me finally got something that intrigues me and I am a bit of a Tom Clancy fan and being the former director of the CIA. It's just fun to talk to you but this five eyes report and even the title of it is kind of intriguing. The five eyes report. What is that and is that a common practice that these nations collaborate on intelligence to figure out what's really going on in the world. Yet the group of five nations. They gather together it's five of the world's leading intelligence organization country that some of the finest intelligence organization as well as the New Zealanders, the Canadian ourselves in the five members of the historic foundation port. You can read about if you go online but it's a group that is were closer together trying best practices share information and deliver good outcomes for not only those five nations, but for the world and the intelligence community and in some ways I just me such comfort that people seeking truth governments that are hopefully true seekers can work together that way to uncover things that are detrimental to the rest of the world. So thanks for that works.

Let me just end with that that faith question. Being a man of faith.

The 50,000 foot view pre-pandemic posts pandemic what kind of world that we have post pandemic. What is it look like I I come to work every day. I'm not shy about my faith. I am confident that we will pass through this to that will obviously have to make sure that we do the right things to both keep people safe and healthy and do the right things to make sure something like this doesn't happen again, but I have every conference that the United States will leave the world out of this time of crisis, and that in time this will continue to be a place that continues to look towards heaven and this nation will continue to lead in the way that it always has Sec.

I am so appreciative of your work. I know on behalf of the 7 million listeners to Focus on the Family.

They will be praying for you and lifting you up in your work there at the State Department. Thank you for being so bold about your faith. Thank you for being yielded that what God wants to do with your life for you and your family.

We just appreciate you so very much. Thank you and make sure you hear those positive accolades as well because I know you get the arrows all the time that I really do try to care. Thank you, when you have to be made to come back to where faith comes by hearing, I need to hear myself. I need to encourage myself. Deborah Begay is with us today on Focus on the Family and your host is focused president and author Jim Daly on John.

John the most frequent command in the Bible is not to be afraid.

And God doesn't want us to live in fear. I believe that Paul tells us in second Timothy 17 that God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control even if you don't live in a constant state of fear and I hope you and you will likely face fear at some point in here Focus on the Family we want you to live freely in Christ and to live abundantly in Christ, and that is our goal in your marriage in your parenting and in your household and your friendships that is a life worth living. If you're struggling with fear here for you. We have caring Christian counselors.

You can talk to.

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Give us a call and I get some help yeah number is 800 232-645-9800 a family and our guest today is going to provide some practical help and hope regarding fear and those anxieties that we all tend to have a one point or another. Deborah Begay has been with us before. In fact, her previous visit was one of our best of programs for the year and that she's a certified behavioral consultant.

The Bible teacher, a speaker, she's authored 16 books. One of those addresses this head-on. It's called 30 days to taming your fears practical help for more peaceful and productive life out Deborah you're busy woman.

I welcome the book as I think is welcome back as you say Mason let's get into it. Why does fear have such an impact on this. Why do we let it get a hold of us in the way it does.

And they can't takes us captive less to start by saying we probably will never be outside of his presence is anticipating a lasting rating, something that may happen, and sometimes is real and sometimes it's not real, but the point is we have to learn how to live with and we don't have to be in bondage to reflect the life that now I say Goliath was right. He said if you like me and kill me will be a segment that's what he said to the Israelites, and I only say you can imagine. Fear is a giant and so was getting the secret to success in overcoming things that you fight me, kill me will be serving with you overcome me serve you yeah but otherwise if we prevail, then you sent us and that's what I found. If I find it resistant overcome it render it lifeless in my life will let's give the listeners that background for you as a little girl. Did you have fear was this, you seem a bit like a very confident woman very accomplished woman, we don't have to go back right now but if you go back to what was happening in your childhood that gave you an awareness of fear just lack of exposure to a lot of things but there was so many fears and just talk about a few I grew up in a very verbally abusive home and so I was afraid I would grow up and marry the wrong man yeah and so that was a great so I was suspect that anybody that I met is like to turn out to be very abusive and I'm not going to tolerate it right so that was a must not be as related to being safe, but to do that to achieve that. You've got to be rooted in Christ and have the confidence that even in my death, however, that will happen will happen at some point nobody lives forever. You know when that happens, I need to be confident in my faith that God will be there to meet me on the other side today and I'm just getting you know I am really trying. As I passed 60 I don't tell the highway five motor than I thought you ever so as I talk about the book is the fear of death.

But if you prepare for it and begin to sway some of the fears. A lot of times it is the unknown weapon. I know for sure spend eternity with God. But I know for sure that I've left my loved ones in good shape and I have left chaos as I think that's why the things you do when you're trying to battle that the yeah and that's one of the core fears really get to the little later, but I wanted to talk with the basic definitions of the types of fear in your book you mention, anxiety, fear itself in the full-blown phobia for those that aren't studying these things. What are the distinctions anxiety because it is anticipating anticipating a negative outcome, may never happen. You probably won't miss anticipating that I have some dread when you defined generally as a dread of a loss. I'm anticipating that at some point I'm going to lose something I tell somebody in the day. If you are afraid of getting on the elevator just cannot dangle one floor and just want is a good idea. Example I was coming here today and let's say that I have some anxiety about I told you earlier I've given the wrong scripture so that somehow the anxiety that I'm thinking okay maybe if I get the wrong Scripture. And that's not the one that was in my head for that application. But that's about anxiety. I'm anticipating a negative outcome and we anticipate that's true but you know you you can choose not to just interject this I drive on freeways a lot and we moved to an area where the people the average speed on the freeway at 8590. That's crazy and I said this is crazy so I'm in the fast lane them, especially an item I just I am so nervous doing that because I'm afraid, comment me and he says anticipate a car not doing that.

Let me read the newspaper while you anticipate that everything is going to go find out whether that's a novel idea, but we have to watch what we anticipate what the Bible says don't be anxious for anything. Don't anticipate why you retrain your brain to think this is a state patrolman pricing is better to try to do the speed limit that when you necessarily, but as I related to that.

I stop back in the back door, but I do have clothes in the car because you need to have shoes in the water so that it seems reasonable.

You see I believe is the chicken we always say the trick of the enemy to have us to the one extreme to the other son I think going to that extreme. I checked the bags every night and down. I think that was extreme no where's the phobia component that's anxiety and you have normal fear. I think we pretty much understand my fears but what's phobia is an irrational thing and I think the bill is going to fall down on me know. You may have heard about something like that many years about many years ago my dad was taking us on a trip to his mom's house and it was as Creek and as a bridge over the creek and the supply fell down and went into the water but we went in danger. We can even come up The waste away, but that was very scary. So even now I think twice with lack of a bridge don't have the phobia won't go over you will find his way around. Because phobias hold you captive and you just absolutely would not do that. Yeah, now the five core fears. You touch on one the fear of death. I think that's pretty natural human beings have that fear in their life ending I get one of the other four well at the inadequacy. While yes most people are afraid of public speaking just the applicant that teenagers think of their life when it comes to inadequacy with my son Ali say press but not in your own strength you everybody is inadequate if you just okay in my own strength but with God can do all things and sell my mindset. I need to just show up because this could just talk about that sufficiency is from God.

So how did you learn that discipline always come from that perspective, especially in times of stress because sometimes people forget or they ignore leaning in the God you cannot apply to not leading to God. This is why the word has to be foundational because we can always have fears that present themselves physically, relationally, emotionally and financially is like a stool at the basin.

Four legs and so the base of my core beliefs so I must always have these beliefs blow down and impact these areas of my life. And so when I I'm always analyzing myself where my emotionally to have these fears. Somebody sent him to miss out on something up the applicant bad or financially. Am I afraid that I'm going to not have enough time to grow old and my money is not going to last long enough to step back and say is with the word of God which is the weight of God say about that to be so primitive in our minds.

What does the word of God say about that because that's why I like this is good. How to overcome fear your book 30 days to taming your fears practical help for more peaceful and productive life full of great practical advice and Deborah Geiser yesterday in Focus on the Family you hand out will identify who you are one of the other for loneliness, loneliness, and so that includes the rejection and I have been in that space when I went along to get along. I said yes when I went to say no because ultimately I didn't want to be alienated, and so I became very dysfunctional and in some of my relationships. I let people use my credit cards because I like them and I was really nice if I could borrow some lunch later so that the idea of loneliness was another losing control not just in its best if you grew up in an environment that was chaotic. You tend to be controlling my life to be out of control like that.

So from now on to make sure everything is lined up and and you just become available. They differ in in regards to your own life. In this journey through fear you're an expert because you've written a book about this right.

What's the journey been like you sought the Lord once twice 25 times talk about that process because for a lot of us. This doesn't happen overnight. It's a daily thing.

When the fear pops up. You have to be ready to combat the fear word yet to declare that faith comes by hearing, and so I need to hear myself. I need to encourage myself yesterday when the plane was doing this little roller coaster they want to thank you that you giving your angels charge responsibility over me to keep me in all my ways.

I think it best with in a land that a point I am intact going to the sketches his angels have been charged to take me in all my ways and so I say that whatever the nature of the theories we need a Scripture to combat them and I'm really been on people committing those to memory so that you can say I know this Scripture you need to know it for yourself. You need to declare it so it's top of mind and reason. So you know the word of God in my mind that I need to fill my mind, so that when I'm squeeze when I'm prescient. That's what comes out. We had a pastor once he used to say when you squeeze a table saying to basic what we say to the face.

He said no comes out that particular toothpaste, he would name the brand name to Brandy, but let's just say was how crackerjack Jack toothpaste comes with is whatever you put in you. That's exactly what comes out of you when you are squeeze what some of that spiritual financial advice you give to those who do lack and that fear you know they fear that lack wet weather there in an older age situation or their middle-aged and they're saying, I just don't have enough to meet the need, and that fear that can be all-consuming.

I know here is my key to not feeling lack of finances because I feel like I can shoot myself against lack how I did do that he says give and it shall be given to you so I and we tightly time we do the three levels of giving week we get tides to present our income.

We now I am not kidding. We have never not tied in at 39 years of marriage, but because of that I am very ongoing when it looks like the enemies that take my money on my own no you don't. I miss you so weekly ties. We give offerings over and above our ties and we give alms those I did she do for other people and listen to have been times we did that when we really didn't work on paper faster do it.with trusting you, trusting you and so I only say I'm insured against lack got on his word given, it will be given to use. I have been surrounded with all kinds of paper we been given trips around the world across the world just have to pay anything point because we stand and expect that Tatian got on his word. But even if you didn't get that you be okay right to have an abundance to me to know I need to believe that guys not provide for my daily needs. When I say that because it's important not to give with expectation really what is here is you don't get to get right. But you give and expect got on his word right so it's not like I gave you one can give me to write you just have the company knowing that God has promised that he's not on it that is good stuff Deborah, author of the book 30 days to taming your fears. This is an awesome resource, especially this idea of a 30 day trial.

Give it a go see if it helps you gives you a piece which is what God promises, we now realize that God is a man been put to the test. That's right. All right.

Let's doubt Deborah so encouraging and so inspirational. I want to remind you, the listener that Focus on the Family is here for you. We want your relationship with the Lord to be strong and vibrant and healthy. We want your trust in and to live without the fear that we been talking about today and if you need more guidance in this area and you don't know where to begin. We are here for you. Just call us. We have caring counselors we have a PDF download. You can get called coming home and it's an article to help you take those first steps in trusting Jesus as your Savior. That's where it really starts right.

Basic yeah and so we would love to introduce you into a relationship with Christ, if you're not there yet again the counselors are here. We want to send you for a donation of any amount. A copy of Deborah's book 30 days to taming your fears and that's our way of saying thank you so take any of those actions that you need to take and we are here in your corner to find more information and other Focus on the Family resources including Deborah's excellent book 30 days to taming your fears. Just click the link in the podcast description and for gift of any amount today will send a copy of that book is her way of saying thank you for supporting Focus on the Family on behalf of Jim Daly and the entire team here. Thanks for listening to Focus on the Family today.

I'm John Fuller inviting you back next time.

As we once more help you and your family. Thriving