Chapter 19: Myth—Sexuality Doesn’t Matter

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Gavin de Becker wrote the book titled, The Gift of Fear 5. Mr. de

Becker’s first chapter is titled: “In the Presence of Danger.” As a violence assessment specialist, de Becker’s clients read like a list of who’s who in the upper crust of society. The question he poses is exactly when should we listen to our fears? When should we really be concerned about danger? He

concludes that when we actually do feel a sense of fear, that it is a gift we have built inside of us. We can get into some complex situations where we do sense some danger, but often we cannot put our finger exactly on the source of our danger feelings or on why we may be apprehensive.

De Becker points out that our subconscious is constantly assessing our surroundings and is constantly taking in sensory inputs of our environment. If our consciousness is raised to sense danger, it is because our subconscious and even our spirit are performing internal calculations at a subconscious

level before alerting us. What we usually get is just a sense of uneasiness. Ever been in a place where you could easily sense danger? Maybe even some outright evil presence? When should we be concerned? Obviously, before we are seriously injured or even killed, before harm comes our way!

What if someone threatened your life? At what point should you get concerned? De Becker concludes that there are always “precursors” to look for. If someone is threatening your life, what have they done so far? Have

they just sent you a scary letter? Have they done this to others before you? Have they taken it to the next action level? I.E. Have they stalked you, tried to shoot you? Etc.? The threats to take serious come from people that will always take it to the next action level. While many people will be satisfied

scaring you with a life-threatening letter, others will not stop at that point. Those are the ones to be concerned with. De Becker teaches to look for precursors to the next possible action. In other words, if the writer is serious about killing you [or your soul], what is the next action they might take and

are they now engaged in getting ready for that action? Are there precursors?

This gift of fear is also something that every Christian who possesses godly wisdom carries with them. When they get off onto an immoral path,

these people will feel the fear of God just like I do. It’s because our internal spirit is always assessing God’s perspective on our behavior. Our heart’s