Feeling like an elephant had taken up residence on my chest, making each breath shallow and heavy, was not an unfamiliar sensation. Racing thoughts and a pounding heart were frequent visitors. These telltale signs of anxiety have consumed my life at times.

For years, I struggled with anxiety. Sometimes it was wild and unrelenting—like a runaway freight train with fear at the helm, unstoppable and terrifying. Other times, it was more subtle, like an old acquaintance I’d rather not bump into in the grocery store.

My anxiety was rooted in fear. Fear that I wasn’t good enough. Fear that I’d never step into the next chapter of my life. Fear that I would have to compromise my values. Fear that God wasn’t listening.

Fear is a familiar voice—it whispers when we want to step out in faith. But Paul’s words to Timothy, his young protégé in the faith, cut through that fear with divine clarity:

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)

Maybe you’ve watched a loved one walk through crippling anxiety and fear, or perhaps you’ve experienced this yourself. God did not give us fear. That voice that tries to shrink us, silence us, or paralyze our purpose? That’s not from Him.

Instead, God gives us a spirit of power—the strength to fulfill our calling even when we feel weak. He gives us love—the kind that drives out fear, reaches others with grace, and anchors us in Christ. And He gives us self-discipline—a sound mind and steady heart to walk in peace and purpose, even when life feels uncertain.

Jesus addressed this same tension when He told His disciples:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Christ never promised a life free from trouble, but He did promise peace in Him. He also offered us courage, not because we are strong, but because He has already overcome everything we face.

So when fear knocks, remember what you’ve been given and by Whom. Walk forward boldly, knowing that the One who called you is the same One who conquered the world.

Father, thank You for not giving me a spirit of fear. When anxiety rises and doubt creeps in, remind me that I have access to Your power, Your love, and Your peace. Strengthen me to walk in truth, to trust Your voice above all others, and to live boldly in the calling You’ve placed on my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Scripture is quoted from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.