We live in a world where there’s so much to be afraid of that we often don’t recognize our deepest fears. With various threats to our comfort and security in the world around us, we’re frequently so concerned with those things that we give little thought to more substantial fears.

However, as survivors, we probably have powerful fears that have been a part of our lives since childhood. These emotions can affect our decisions, our relationships, and our health. They need to be addressed but this cannot be done harshly and abruptly; our fears need to be dealt with slowly, gently, and carefully. “Two steps forward and one step back” is just fine when dealing with emotions. They can even be baby steps. And if you’ve ever watched a baby learning to walk, you know that it involved a lot of falling down and getting back up. In other words, please be patient with yourself.

This month, since we believe that God cares about us and wants to help us, we’ll be looking at fear from a spiritual perspective. The first step is to talk with your Creator honestly about fear. Ask the Lord to help you be aware of what you need to work on, and then pray—steadily, repeatedly—to be filled with greater awareness of God’s love for you.