No Fear

No Fear
DeVonya Prather
2 Timothy 1:6-9

What are you afraid of? Is there something that worries you? Are you skeptical that God will see you through? I encourage you to replace your fear with the three things Paul outlines — power, love, and a sound mind.

Paul saw the timidity that was in Timothy; Timothy knew the fear he sometimes felt. God wanted Timothy to know that this fear wasn’t from the God he served; he needed to know that God has not given us a spirit of fear. Just like Timothy, we all face situations where we feel timid and afraid. For some, speaking in front of others makes them fear; others are afraid of confrontation, others of being made to look foolish, others are afraid of rejection. We all deal with fear.

V. 7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”

The first step in dealing with such fears is to understand that they are not from God. It is a significant step to say, “This isn’t God making me feel like this; God hasn’t given me this.” Perhaps it is from personality, perhaps a weakness of the flesh, perhaps a demonic attack – but it isn’t from God.

The second step in dealing with such fears is understanding what God has given us: a spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind. When we do His work, proclaim His word, represent His kingdom, we have all His power supporting us. We are safe in His hands. How we love others tells us a lot about the power He has given us.

Many people think of power in terms of how much we can control others; but Jesus’ power is expressed in how much we can love and serve others. On the night before the cross, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands – and what did He do with all that power? He humbly washed His disciples’ feet (John 13:1-11).

God has given us a sound mind: The ancient Greek word here had the idea of a calm,
self-controlled mind, in contrast to the panic and confusion that comes in a fearful situation. We don’t need to accept what God has not given us (a spirit of fear), and we do need to humbly receive and walk in what He has given us (a spirit… of power and of love and of a sound mind).

Paul wrote this to Timothy because boldness matters; without it, we can’t fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. God’s purpose for us is more than making money, being entertained, and being comfortable; it is for each of us to use the gifts He gives to touch His people and help a dying world. Fear and timidity will keep us from using the gifts God gives. God wants us each to take His power, His love, and His calm thinking and overcome fear, to be used by Him with all the gifts He gives.

Prayer: God, we thank you for power, love, and sound mind. We pray Lord God that in the face of our fears you would remind us of who we are in you. We pray that you continue to strengthen us in the weak places that might cause us to be fearful. Help us God to be strong and very courageous. In Jesus name, amen.