What happens to me when I panic? - Panic - TouchPoints

Psalm 22:14My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me.

Psalm 39:1-3I said to myself, “I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say. I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me.” But as I stood there in silence—not even speaking of good things—the turmoil within me grew worse. The more I thought about it, the hotter I got, igniting a fire of words.

Panic causes emotional, mental, and physical reactions. Panic can override wise decision-making with defensive or desperate actions that may well worsen a bad situation.

Daniel 2:10-11The astrologers replied to the king, “No one on earth can tell the king his dream! And no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician, enchanter, or astrologer! The king’s demand is impossible. No one except the gods can tell you your dream, and they do not live here among people.”

John 11:38-39Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”

Panic brings feelings of hopelessness when our deepest assumptions are challenged by difficult experiences. When our security fades, our hope fades too.

Exodus 14:10-12As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the Lord, and they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt?’”

Matthew 14:30When [Peter] saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

Fear turns our focus away from God and what God can do. And sometimes, losing our focus on God leaves us vulnerable to panic. When we realize we are experiencing panic, it is time to turn our focus back on God.

Judges 7:22When the 300 Israelites blew their rams’ horns, the Lord caused the warriors in the camp to fight against each other with their swords. Those who were not killed fled to places as far away as Beth-shittah near Zererah and to the border of Abel-meholah near Tabbath.

2 Chronicles 20:22-23At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had destroyed the army of Seir, they began attacking each other.

Panic can be destructive, causing people to lash out at those around them. In both these instances, God used the superstitious idolatry of Israel’s enemies as an opening to cause panic and self-destruction.

2 Samuel 17:9-10“He [David] has probably already hidden in some pit or cave. And when he comes out and attacks and a few of your men fall, there will be panic among your troops, and the word will spread that Absalom’s men are being slaughtered. Then even the bravest soldiers, though they have the heart of a lion, will be paralyzed with fear. For all Israel knows what a mighty warrior your father is and how courageous his men are.”

Psalm 55:5Fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can’t stop shaking.

Jeremiah 30:5This is what the Lord says: “I hear cries of fear; there is terror and no peace.”

Daniel 5:5-9Suddenly, they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king’s palace, near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote, and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him. The king shouted for the enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers to be brought before him. He said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed in purple robes of royal honor and will have a gold chain placed around his neck. He will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom!” But when all the king’s wise men had come in, none of them could read the writing or tell him what it meant. So the king grew even more alarmed, and his face turned pale. His nobles, too, were shaken.

Panic can be debilitating, robbing us of our vitality. This is especially true, as is the case in these passages, when the fear is legitimate.

1 Kings 20:20Each Israelite soldier killed his Aramean opponent, and suddenly the entire Aramean army panicked and fled. The Israelites chased them, but King Ben-hadad and a few of his charioteers escaped on horses.

2 Kings 7:7So they [the Arameans] panicked and ran into the night, abandoning their tents, horses, donkeys, and everything else, as they fled for their lives.

Isaiah 22:1-3This message came to me concerning Jerusalem—the Valley of Vision: What is happening? Why is everyone running to the rooftops? The whole city is in a terrible uproar. What do I see in this reveling city? Bodies are lying everywhere, killed not in battle but by famine and disease. All your leaders have fled. They surrendered without resistance. The people tried to slip away, but they were captured, too.

Mark 16:8The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, and they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened.

Panic can cause us to run away from problems or circumstances we should face. Running away never solves anything. Problems and situations will be waiting for us when we tire, or they will chase us down and overcome us.

Deuteronomy 20:8“Then the officers will also say, ‘Is anyone here afraid or worried? If you are, you may go home before you frighten anyone else.’”

Judges 7:2-3The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength. Therefore, tell the people, ‘Whoever is timid or afraid may leave this mountain and go home.’” So 22,000 of them went home, leaving only 10,000 who were willing to fight.

Panic is contagious and spreads fear like a virus. The Deuteronomy passage was part of God’s instructions to Moses regarding military service among the Israelites. After listing a number of legitimate reasons for avoiding service, the subject of fear was addressed. Clearly, fearful soldiers would have a devastating effect on over-all morale. God also raised these concerns with Gideon.

Matthew 6:25-32“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. . . . Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? . . . So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.”

Mark 4:37-41Soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the water, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

Worry often accompanies panic. When you are worried that you lack something essential, you may begin to panic about it. You may even begin to question the dependable resources available to you, like the very presence of God.

1 Samuel 13:6The men of Israel saw what a tight spot they were in; and because they were hard pressed by the enemy, they tried to hide in caves, thickets, rocks, holes, and cisterns.

Zechariah 12:4“On that day,” says the Lord, “I will cause every horse to panic and every rider to lose his nerve. I will watch over the people of Judah, but I will blind all the horses of their enemies.”

Panic breeds cowardliness in the face of real threats. When we lose courage, we want to run instead of standing our ground with God’s help.