For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love, and of a sound mind. (II Timothy 1:7)

Fear is like a killer. It stops the God-given spirituality in our lives from taking shape under the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit. Fear is connected to doubt—doubt of self. Our low self-esteem will generate fear, whether it be fear of others, fear of failure, or even fear of success. In order to conquer this thing called fear, we must confront it and talk about it.

Fear will not disappear simply because we wish it to go away, hope that it will go away, or even pray that it will go away. It is a strong feeling that needs to be identified and seen for what it really is—or as in many cases, for what it is not.

When we forget that we are creations of a most powerful God, we encounter fear of people, places, what tomorrow might bring, and even life itself. But under the guiding hand of the Creator, all the fears we might imagine can be faced. God is always on our side.

Paul reminds us that fear is not something that comes from God—rather love and the power of the Holy Spirit within us are the gifts that God gives and these very gifts are the ones that will overcome fears. What fears we have need only be brought to the light.

Holy God of strength and power, help us to see that our fears are not from You, but the answers to our fears are!