There are two ways to look at every situation we face in life: through eyes of fear or through eyes of faith. There’s no denying that fear is a real emotion, and it has value. It often protects us from great physical harm. For example, electricity is a power that we enjoy and use daily. But a healthy fear of electricity and its power prevents us from doing something stupid, such as sticking a fork in an outlet. Such fear is based on respect. But there’s another kind of fear, one that’s based, not on respect, but on torment. This kind of fear imagines every worst-case scenario possible with no thought for the presence of God. Second Timothy 1:7 explains that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but instead provides us with a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. We must realize that the spirit of fear that torments us with scenarios of gloom and doom is not from the Lord, but rather from Satan. We need to remember that no matter what the future holds, our loving Father is already there. No matter how overwhelming a problem seems, our all-powerful God is already involved. We can choose to see life through eyes of paralyzing fear, OR we can train ourselves to see it through eyes of faith, with a healthy reverential fear and respect for the One who works all things together for our good. It’s up to us.