Everyone is afraid of something, right? I’m afraid of sharks, financial planning, and clowns (not necessarily in that order). I’m also afraid of death and debilitating sickness. (Who isn’t?)

What are you afraid of?

I bet you were afraid of different things when you were small! (Okay, sharks and clowns were still on my list when I was 10.)

I live in a 108-year-old home in Michigan. Like all old homes, it has its quirks … most notably, a “Michigan basement” that is old and creepy enough to scare even the most stalwart of intrepid youngsters.

Several years ago when my son was five years old, he came up to me and said, “Mom, can you turn on the light in the monster room?”

“Sure! Wait … what room is that?”

It was the basement, of course. His mind had built up an irrational web of fear—all centered on the darkest, most mysterious room of our old home and what he thought might be lurking there.

Many times our fears are totally irrational. Sometimes they seem a little more rational (our adult fears never seem like something to laugh at, do they?), but God still has the same message for all of us. 

Do not fear. In fact, the phrase “do not be afraid,” or some form of it, is written 365 times in the Bible. One for every day of the year. 

“The Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).