Thoughts on 2 Timothy 1:7

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline.”2 Timothy 1:7

God never meant for us to be in control, strong in and of ourselves. We were meant to show His strength in our weakness as He provides for our needs. We were created to live like little children, dependent on the care of our heavenly Father. When we insist on living life our way, in our own strength, we experience the same result as Adam and Eve. We will live in fear. This is right where Satan wants us. If the enemy can keep us contained by fear, we won’t be able to fulfill our potential or make a difference in the lives of others. Satan knows what we are capable of with Christ. To prevent us from that realization, he poisons us with fear — fear of trusting God, fear of surrendering ourselves completely to His plans.

Fear that is fueled by Satan’s lies can be described by this acrostic:
False
Evidence
Appearing
Real

It’s not that we shouldn’t be concerned about certain issues of life such as safety and health. But when worrying takes over by keeping us up at night and shutting us down during the day, we move into a place we were never meant to live.

We need to live in God’s presence and rely on His promises and provision. Only then will we be able to distinguish between truth and lies. Only then will our lives be marked by faith, not fear.
My prayer for each of you this week is that Christ will help you to discern between false fears and real concerns.

As I commit God’s Word to memory, I pray He will make His truth alive in my heart so that I can battle fear and live by faith.