2 Timothy 1:7
There is nothing of this world that we should fear… In this world so many people have their minds filled with nonsense and things of no significant value that they inherit this worldly fear spoken of in this passage by the apostle Paul… We fear losing jobs, a lower income or alterations to our lifestyle; however, in the body of Christ we are reminded today that we have not been given a spirit of fear… More importantly, the spirit we have and have been given in Christ is a spirit that contradicts what the world things we should be afraid of… When you are under the spirit of fear there are elements in your life that you are scared to lose or allow to change; however, when you are in Christ you don’t fear these things but learn to trust that God doesn’t make mistakes and that He has my best interest at heart, this is why Paul says the spirit you have been given is a spirit of “power, and of love, and of a sound mind…” Understand today that you cannot be a child of God if you are walking in fear of things changing in this world or around you… A child resembles their parents; so if you call yourself a child of God then you shouldn’t fear what circumstances you face in this world or endure through your life’s journey… Jesus endured the most humiliating death known to mankind; however, His spirit didn’t fear and He stole the sting and victory of death and the grave… Remember who is writing this passage today, Paul was faced with many obstacles, trials and tribulations… Even through His trials, He goes on in the book of Romans to he asks the question, “Who can separate us from the love of God…?” He then goes on to say after dealing with much pain, controversy and suffering (remember throughout his missionary journeys that he was shipwrecked and stoned by a faction formed from Antioch and Iconium, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Paul wrote this at a time when several distractions were being presented before, the scholars of the law were trying to discredit him and punish him for his faith and these are the words that he spoke… We should echo these words when we face obstacles and hurdles knowing that nothing will separate us from God’s love and His divine will… In today’s focus verse, Paul writes a letter of encouragement to Timothy… Timothy was a man of God whom had begun to doubt his ability within the will of God… Timothy was a young man that was scrutinized and placed under a microscope; he desired to leave the ministry of the gospel and take a backseat to the views of the world… Paul is lifting up Timothy in his time of despair and reinforcing his belief… There will always be times in our lives where we feel like giving up.Timothy was dealing with a trial in his ministry and Paul is teaching him to understand that trials are a (n) apart of life. The words recorded here in 2 Timothy tell us that we have been given a spirit by God. We have something within us that will bring about better things out of us. This spirit is not of fear, you have nothing to be afraid of, you have no chains holding you back, no bondage or captivity, but the spirit has set you free to embark on the journey that God has ordained for your life. Remember when the Spirit of God (the spirit that ONLY God gives) descended on Jesus in the 4th chapter of Matthew and He was tempted by the devil and made him flee, the Jews criticized Peter and the other believers on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit rain down on them by saying they had had too much wine. When God pours out His spirit the devil will try to thwart His plan and vision for your life, but know that His spirit will give you power to overcome any circumstance or attack that the devil may draw up against you. God has given you a spirit that will empower you to be the best child of God you can be, Jesus said “greater things than I, you will do…” Don’t allow your ability to be held captive because of fear, understand that trials are necessary to mature and grow in the word and will of God… Understand that trouble doesn’t last always and know that God will never leave you nor forsake you. The days that we live in now were made possible because the ones who lived before us were not controlled by fear… Likewise, you have been given a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind! USE IT!
ALL FOR HIS GLORY!
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