2 Timothy 1:7; “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”
Romans 8:15: “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father’.”
Satan has many weapons and one of his favorites is fear. Here’s what fear can cause us to do:
- Miss out on an opportunity to share the love of Jesus instead of boldly sharing our testimony
- Hide our gifts & talents instead of serving joyfully
- Ignore a chance to make a friend instead of loving as God loved us
- Disregard our mission instead of embracing our purpose
- Disobey the Lord instead of walking in obedience
- Remain in a dangerous relationship rather than trusting in the Lord for deliverance
- Hide in fear rather than taking pleasure in joyous occasion
- Neglect someone who needs help instead of taking care of others
- Fail to speak up or speak out instead of boldly pointing out injustice
- Pass up a blessing instead of receiving what the Lord has to offer
- Walk in despair rather than trusting in the Lord
- Veil our radiance instead of shining for Jesus
- Grumble in gloom rather than rejoicing and praising our Lord
Fear is like those pesky weeds that can strangle the growth of a beautiful flower. It chokes our desire to worship the Lord and spread joy to others. It hinders us from obeying the 2 greatest laws – to love the Lord our God and to love our neighbors (Matt 22:36-39). How can we do those things when we are walking in fear?
When we accept Christ as our Savior and repent, we are immediately indwelled with the Holy Spirit. We are freed from the bonds of fear and are given a spirit of power, of love and of self discipline. All we have to do is use it! Just like our laptop computers, cell phones, televisions and other electronics, we have to plug in to our power source – the Holy Spirit. I encourage you to plug in through prayer daily. Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you and give you the power to overcome your fears so that you may live a life that shines for Jesus! Pray that the Holy Spirit will lead you throughout each day, giving you courage to fulfill your purpose. Pray that He will open your eyes to his power and reveal to you the manner in which to use it. It’s what you are created for!
Remember, whatever fills you, controls you. What do you want to be filled with?
Today's blog was posted by Bridge member Kelly Coxe.
Romans 8:15 has been a special verse to me throughout the last year.
ReplyDeleteI was a slave to fear for many years. I believed the lies that I could not escape my circumstances.
The devil and people will give you many reasons to fear. I often doubted and had fear when I could not see how God could deliver me from the circumstances of my life. Learning to give God complete control when you can not understand how He will deliver you can be very difficult. But when you give Him complete control and have faith, it is so exciting to watch God move the mountains!
When I am truely scared of circumstances, that is when I have learned to turn on Christian music and start praising God. When I am praising and thanking my Savior I am not dwelling on myself or my fears. That is a time to call out to my Father!