Fear is Not of God

Has fear ever paralyzed you? Have you ever considered not doing something or going somewhere because you were afraid? Fear is sneaky and not from God. The Apostle Paul was encouraging Timothy when he said that God doesn’t give you a spirit of fear. Paul knew that Timothy’s calling was to lead the church in Ephesus and correct false teachings and he knew that Timothy needed encouragement to do the task. To do what he was called to do Timothy had to stay strong and be bold in his faith.

Standing for Christ requires us to be fearless. Dispelling false narratives about Christ requires us to be fearless. Furthermore, living like Christ is the head of our life and avoiding sin also requires fearlessness. Walking around afraid to do things like going to college, moving to a new state, starting a new job, standing up for something that is right but unpopular, or trusting God in adversity, does not show the belief in God’s power. Fear can make it easy to dim our light or even go with the crowd. The Word tells us not to go with the crowd but instead we should enter through the narrow gate. The crowd enters through the wide gate and “wide is the gate that leads to destruction” (Matthew 7:13-14). Simply put, don’t follow the world. Fear of losing friends or status can make a person enter through the wide gate and follow the world and its behaviors and beliefs. When fear sets in, you must remember to not allow it to hold you back or control you because that spirit is not from God (2 Timothy 1:7).

PRAYER: Dear Lord, forgive us for giving into fear. Forgive us for allowing fear to dictate our lives. Many times, we have taken the long way to our destination because fear has a hold on our mind. Thank You, for the example of Timothy and Paul, they show us that fear is real but it is not from you. You have made It clear that You have not given us a spirit of fear but of love and power and a sound mind. Help us Lord, to continue to trust You and live our lives like we truly believe that fear is not a part of the plan for our lives. In the matchless name of Jesus, Amen.
By Sis. Pat Towns