“For God gives us a Spirit not of fear but of power, love and self-control” – 2 Timothy 1:7
One day, my brother whom was a senior in High School was walking home alone from school. It was getting dark, the clouds were dark and skies were gloomy. Although, it was a straight walk and close distance to home, the fear of being alone entered his mind. He began to wonder if someone would jump out of a bush, attempt to rob him or pull over and try to put him in a car. Fearful thoughts raced through his mind and fear grew to worries which grew to panic. He began walking faster and his anxieties intensified. As he tried calming himself down, he remembered what we spoke about days before. He remembered the power that God gave him and how fear is not something God created him with. He remembered how much God loved him and How God would never let any of those fearful thoughts come to pass. He remembered that God is always with him and even though He is walking home alone, he will never truly be alone.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” -Joshua 1:9
Fear is not of God. Fear is of the flesh and when we live in the flesh, we distance ourselves from God. We chose to live in fear simply because we do not know the power that God has given us. In Timothy, we learn that God did not create humans with any Spirit of fear or timidity, rather He created Humans to be fearless and powerful. Fear has many shapes and sizes and there are many different reasons to feel fearful. The fear of being judged by others, fear of public speaking or fear of online dating. The fear of failure, fear of disappointing others or fear of spiders. Whatever the fear, we know that it did not come from God. There are many things in this world that create fear but God let’s us know, when we chose to be fearful, we are not acknowledging the power He put within us.
The idea of fear can become overwhelming. When we entertain the thoughts of fear, we neglect the truth of God’s word. We are given authority to live on this earth and be fearless. After all, we were created without a Spirit of fear. The enemy uses fear as a tactic to keep us from reaching our fullest potential and living in the power that was given to us. Today, let us live the way God intended for us to be, fearless. Let us use our power and self-control to bring glory to God and share the Good news with others. Let us leave our fears, doubts, worries and anxieties in God’s hands so that we can use our hands to do His work. Let us be free from the control of fear and utilize our strength in Christ. We are mighty warriors of God and fear has no power over us.