For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. – 2 Timothy 1:7
Let’s face it, a life of chronic illness, disability, and pain is fraught with fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of death, fear of facing other people’s judgment, fear of letting down those you love… my life is no different. The first step in removing fear is to face that fear. Yes, we are all fragile, and we could all fail at any time. But I’ve found some nuggets in scripture that have really helped me to face my fears with a different attitude, and the above scripture is a prime example.
That fear we feel is NOT coming from God, so guess who it’s coming from… that old devil plants it in our hearts, feeds it into our minds, screams it in our gut. He keeps us awake with it, tortures us with it, and controls us with it. The blessing is, that once we recognize this, we can stop him. He has no right in our hearts or minds!
Instead let’s replace that spirit of fear with what God did give us! We can replace it with power; not our own power, but the power of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. They live inside us, and that leaves no room for Satan and his tricks. We can replace it with love, and what could be more powerful than that! The love from others gives us strength in this cruel world, but the love we return to others is where our true strength lies. The next time you are afraid, find someone to heap a little love upon. Finally, we can replace fear with self-discipline. This self-discipline is something I work on daily, trying to instill scripture into my heart, putting on the full armor of God, not letting my fearful thoughts take root and run away with me. Together, these three will provide us with what we need to dispel our spirit of fear, if we will lean on God for the strength and reminders!
Lord, thank you for providing us with all we need, all the time. Help us to learn not to be fearful. In Jesus’ Name, Amen…
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May God Bless You,
Shelly
