At the beginning of the year, when I started praying and asking the Lord for direction, He impressed 2 Timothy 1:7 on my heart.

This verse made it clear to me what God wanted us to focus on this year. Here it says: “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind."

The amplified Bible expands it a bit more and puts it this way: "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].

God gave us His Spirit so that we can overcome our fears!

God said that He is with us and that we don't need to be afraid, and that is absolutely right, because His Spirit lives in us.

Fear is a reaction of the body and not of the Spirit. The body does not handle fear well.

When we are in danger or experience a lot of stress, the body releases the stress hormone "adrenaline".

Even if you are shocked or afraid, adrenaline is released. This is of course very important because it allows us to respond quickly.

But if we are constantly dealing with stress, then a burnout follows, because adrenaline is constantly present to keep the body in a state of alertness or flight.

So fear or anxiety are things that can do a lot of damage to our body.

Fear is a paralyzing spirit!

God's Spirit, on the other hand, gives us peace and strength. When we get into difficult situations, He releases a supernatural power. An inner strength to conquer the situation.

David wrote in Psalm 34:5 "I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears."

In Psalm 46:1-2 we read: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea..."

So we really have no reason to be afraid, because "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.".