Monday, September 29, 2014
By: Gwen Hitt
No Need to Fear
2 Timothy 1:7 God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
My four-year old grandson recently told me that he is strong, he is powerful, and he is mighty. While proclaiming this, his little fists were clenched with his arms held outright, his jaw was set with determination, and his voice was loud and powerful. He made this statement with such incredible boldness and conviction.
As I observed him, I began to reflect on how beneficial it would be for ALL of us to proclaim a similar message with the same stance in our times of distress. Interestingly, God feels the same way. Today's scripture reminds us that He DESIRES for us to operate in the power, love, and sound mind that He has given to us ... not in FEAR. He wants us to walk in His strength ... not cower in weakness.
For a moment, imagine being presented the choice of living your life in FEAR or POWER, LOVE, and a SOUND MIND. Which option would you prefer taking up residence? Of course, most of us would without question select the Power, Love, and a Sound Mind option. However, many of us quickly move back into the neighborhood of FEAR when faced with uncertainty, illness, financial problems, relationship troubles, etc.
In our defense, IF it would be easy to avoid the raw and consuming state of fear, Jesus would not have repeatedly said "Don't Be Afraid" in the Gospels. In fact, fear is actually mentioned over 500 times in the Bible. I am certain that God did this intentionally because He knew that we would encounter fear, and He wanted to equip us to handle it rather than being devastated by it.
Sadly, many of us are currently facing what seems like insurmountable problems. In ourselves, we cannot SEE a positive end to our situation. My challenge to everyone dealing with these circumstances is to hold on to Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." Always know that with God on our side, we are on the WINNING side ... we ARE strong, we ARE powerful, we ARE mighty!
Dear Lord, I thank You for the gift of POWER, LOVE, and a SOUND MIND that You have made available to me. I ask that you close the revolving door of the spirit of FEAR that is constantly trying to gain access into my life. Help me to operate in Your provision of strength at ALL times.
I thank You Jesus for dying for me. I believe that You are Lord and that God raised You from the grave so that I can have eternal life.
Reflection: Are their areas of your life in which you need to begin operating in God's gift of POWER, LOVE, and a SOUND MIND ... realizing that you are on the winning team and that losing is not an option if you rely upon your Coach for guidance and direction?
