“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”
(2 Timothy 1:7).
I have been thinking a great deal about this verse as of late; what it means, how I should interpret it. I have pondered how I have at times lived my life ignoring these wise words and how I have forgotten them in times of need. We have all felt fear at some point. We have gripped the sides of our seats with damp palms, frozen into place seeking solace in what is easy. But what has it gotten any of us? Relief? If so…for how long? How long was it until the shame crept up our spines reminding us that we should have made the challenging choice, instead of the easier one? How long did it take for the memory of that moment to turn our stomachs sour? I myself can remember many times like this, assuring myself that I tried my best. But, did I?
In moments of fear, sometimes it is difficult to remember that fear does not come from God. When one is in that moment, the mind does not always seek a spiritual conclusion. It may at times be difficult to recognize that the fear permeating within us is temporary; better yet, that it is not from a holy place. God does not want any of us to live in that type of fear; he knows us well enough to know what it does to us.
When fear presents itself, we must remember that it is temporary. It is a moment in which at first may seem overwhelming, but later in some cases can be a recollection of experiences, better yet, it may be the beginning of a great moment within one’s life.
Satan wants us to sit in fear. He does not want us to know peace or joy, he wants us familiar with stress and confusion. That way, we are distracted. That way, we will be unable to recognize the prompting of the Holy Spirit when it seeks to guide us. No matter who we are or where we find ourselves, we will have challenges in our lives. Nothing is easy for everyone.
So….what do we do?
First off, we must acknowledge that fear is present. Ignoring our own circumstances rarely works out for anyone. After we acknowledge our fear there is a very important step that one should take.
Pray.
Prayer is how we fight fear! It is the invisible weapon that has the ability to shred and destroy that which is unholy. It is in our moments with God that we can find ourselves remembering who has the true ultimate power, and it is not Satan. Now, that does not mean that suddenly fear will dissipate and Satan will run off, but it does mean that you can begin to make good use of the verse above. Prayer is the beginning step, but God will do the rest. He can show his “power,” his “love,” and he can impart upon you a “sound mind”. We should also not worry if we stumble or forget these lessons. We are all learning. We are all attempting to navigate within this difficult world, and we must remember that it is our loving God who will give us sanctuary. It is he that can give us the strength and awareness we need to defeat any lie which Satan brings our way .
Eternally Loved 