"Jesus Cast out Our Fear"
GOOD MORNING!
DEVOTIONAL:
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7
Do you find yourself crippled and paralyzed by fear? God did not intend for us to live our lives filled with worry and anxiety, but to live powerful lives filled with His joy and peace [with confidence and trust in Christ]. But on this side of heaven, living in a fallen world, we do come face to face with the enemy of fear. We battle fear. Fear is a natural human emotion. The dictionary defines it as “an unpleasant, often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger." We live in a world filled with hurt, pain, and danger. Our natural response to the threat of imminent danger is built within us to “fight” or “flight” a situation that we are fearful of.
Fear has the power to grip our minds and bodies so deeply that when it does we find ourselves living in a constant state of high stress and emotional duress. The voice of fear can become the dominant voice in our lives, and if we’re not careful, we can begin to believe the lies propagated by the "spirit of fear." When fear takes hold it can cripple us to the core, and we are unable to live in the true freedom, peace, and joy provided to us by Christ.
The Lord knew we would battle the "spirit of fear" in this life. Throughout the Bible we are admonished [commanded], "Fear not." "For God has not given us a spirit of fear..."
The Greek word spirit in this verse, pneuma, is used in several different ways in Scripture. It is used to describe the Holy Spirit, and is also defined as the power by which the human being feels, thinks, and decides. This word is also used when referring to evil spirits. So, today’s devotional verse is saying God has NOT given us an evil, tormenting spirit of fear, dread, or timidity. Instead, we as believers in Christ have the power of the Holy Spirit living within us, who gives us the Spirit of love, power, and a sound mind.
Through Christ, we have the power to walk in the fruit of the Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. That means we have the power to control our thoughts and resist irrational fears and phobias that rob us of walking in the true freedom, joy, and peace we have in Christ.
We can use the Word of God to calm our anxious thoughts when they rise up within us. This doesn’t mean that we will never experience fear again. We will. But when we do, instead of fear controlling us, we will control fear with the power and promises of God’s Word and walk in step with the "Spirit of Truth" and not in step with the "spirit of fear."
As you begin your day today, remember God holds us in His righteous right hand.
Much love and care,
Pastor Pat
Greece Assembly of God
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