2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
It’s a privilege to be with you again. The last time we met, we talked about the spirit of fear and how the enemy puts us in the prison of fear. The question on our minds today is, how do we deal with fear or what can take away fear?
He says “When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end”— Isaiah 43:2 (MSG).
If you are a parent, you’ve probably experienced your child’s dependency on you to face their fear when they have nightmares or when it is thundering and lightening during a storm. They will go through the hall in the dark, come to your room and jump into your bed, because what they need is somebody to be with them. You hugging them doesn’t stop the storm, the thunder or the lightning; but it changes how they face it. You help them face their fear in the midst of the storm and that is exactly what our heavenly Father does for us. He said in Isaiah: “Tell fearful souls, “Courage! Take heart! GOD is here, right here, on his way to put things right and redress all wrongs. He’s on his way! He’ll save you!”” Isaiah 35:4 (MSG)
2. GOD HAS GIVEN YOU THE SPRIRT OF POWER
One of the fears that plaque us is the fear of inadequacy – the fear that we will not meet certain challenges or cannot solve certain problems. We fear the possibility of failing and humiliation. To handle this kind of fear, I want you to know from our text that God has given you power. There are two Greek words that are commonly translated as power in English. One means the power of authority, such as kingly or political power; the other is the power of ability, the enablement and competency to do something. Therefore you have the ability, the authority and the adequacy to handle that problem; so fear NOT!
3. GOD HAS GIVEN YOU THE SPIRIT OF LOVE
Many of our anxieties are usually related to our relationships. We fear being abandoned or being betrayed by friends or loved ones. We fear tension and conflicts in our social situations. To handle these fears, God has given us the spirit of love. Love is the key to nurturing and maintaining your relationships. If you truly love, you can manage every relationship; because even when people have hurt you, love will enable you to forgive and look pass their mistakes and errors. You will be prepared to accept folks regardless of how they treat or don’t treat you. I understand that is a hard pill to swallow. But that is what is called a “Christian” The Bible says “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:18 (NKJV)
Well, dear reader it’s time for me to say good bye. We will continue our conversation next time.
Pastor King