A young woman who lived in a crime-ridden area was waiting for a bus when a rookie policeman came up to her and asked, "Can I wait with you?"

"That's not necessary," she replied. "I'm not afraid."

"Well, I am," he said. "Would you mind waiting with me?"

The apostle Paul was candid with his readers in Corinth, admitting his fear and weakness, even to the point of trembling (1 Cor. 2:3). But he faced up to it, expressed his need for the Lord, and then relied on Him. He said that his speech and preaching were a "demonstration of the Spirit and of power" (v.4). We may safely assume that Paul spent much time praying and depending on God while he was in this wicked city.

Admitting that we are sometimes fearful isn't a sign of being out of fellowship with God or that something is wrong in our lives. To acknowledge that we become anxious about dying, about getting cancer, about losing our mind, or about our children getting in trouble is being honest about our feelings. To overcome our fears, we must first acknowledge them. Then we must bring them to God and go forward in obedience. That's the only way to conquer fear.  — Dennis J. De Haan