At some point in history, that part of us that said “don’t leave the cave and you won’t get eaten” kept humans alive. So that operating system believes that, if it is not in charge, we are going to die. So it makes a lot of noise to keep our attention, and gets louder when we’re going to do something growth oriented or healing, because those things are liable to make some other aspect of self our main operating system.

Its messaging is all based on fear, though, and fear is the illusion of the absence of the Divine. We are each a cell in the Body Divine. If this is true, there is nothing ultimately to be scared of. We are all, at our core, aspiring to grow, to evolve, to heal, to become more and more aware of our Divinity.

But that hear-based messaging also has an important spiritual purpose. It gives us something to choose against. When it beings up resistance to growth, and we move forward anyway, we strengthen our spiritual muscles and evolve. Our essence becomes stronger and we become more consciously aware of our Divine Selves.

Fear stems, on a spiritual level, from the agreement we made when we came into this lifetime on this plane, that we would start off in the illusion of separation, not knowing that we are part of the Divine. This enabled us to experience more growth and more experiences. That illusion of separation is what allows us to have Free Will, and to make choices that move us closer to or farther away from The Divine. It’s part of the human experience.

Fear can also spur us to action. Get out of traffic, don’t touch the hot stove, avoid the person who gives us the heebie jeebies. We may be part of the Divine, but we are currently moving around in these meat suits, and it’s in our best interest to take care of them.

And fear also exists to prompt you to turn to the Divine, internal and external, for assistance. Think about it – when are you the most likely to look for greater-than-mortal assistance? When you’re scared.

If you find that your fear is limiting you today, try repeating this to yourself:

The love of God surrounds me
The light of God empowers me
The arms of God enfold me
The strength of God protects me
Wherever I am, God is.

It’s an adaptation of a prayer by James Dillet Freeman. I like doing it in series of 3, because I resonate with that sort of repetition.

This post is part of a series called Monday Message, based on that day’s reflection from 365 Days to Enlightenment (authorized versions are currently out of print, working on a new edition). Check back next Monday for another one! You can also sign up for the Daily Message on my mailing list if you’d like to receive a new reflection every day. I also often post them to Instagram, if that’s a medium you enjoy.