2 Timothy 1:7 (NASB20) For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
In this passage Paul is encouraging Timothy to remain strong in his faith, and to be faithful to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
This is a powerful verse, and one worth memorizing.
God did not give us a spirit of timidity/fear/anxiety/worry. God gave us a spirit of power (to do good and not evil), and love (to love Him and each other), and discipline (that we will not fall back into sinful habits).
The Holy Spirit gives us the power to do God’s will. It is not a power to control other people, but it is a power to cast out demons, and overcome strongholds, and fight evil as soldiers in God’s army. We have the power to be lights in the world, and the power to glorify God in everything we do.
The Holy Spirit gives us love. Not a love of self, but a love of God, and love of compassion and mercy for each other. This is the great commandment - to love God with everything we are, and to love each other as we love ourselves. Love is the glue that binds together everything else in God’s plan, and in His kingdom. God gives us a spirit of love because without love everything else that we do is meaningless.
And the Holy Spirit gives us discipline. The discipline to read the Bible every day. The discipline to do whatever good deeds that God has prepared for us to do. The discipline to resist temptation. The discipline to pray, and fast. The discipline to follow God’s ways and not our own. The discipline to be disciples of Jesus.
If you are fearful, or worried, or anxious, or timid then you are not being led by the Holy Spirit - you are being led by a spirit of the deceiver. God did not create you to be afraid. Adam and Eve were not fearful until after they fell for the deception of the serpent. What deception have you fallen for? Whatever it is, repent of it, lay it at the feet of Jesus, and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit instead. Only then will you be free from your fear and anxiety. Put yourself in God’s hands, and do not be afraid!
Hebrews 13:6 (NASB20) so that we confidently say, “THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?”
This passage in Hebrews is a quote from Psalm 118:6. In the Psalm the passage is referring to God being a refuge for those who trust in Him. In Hebrews, the context is a little more specific.
Hebrews 13:5, the verse before this one, admonishes us to be free from the love of money, and be content with what we have - reminding us that God said that He will never desert or abandon us.
I say this with no malice or hard feelings, but the way of money is the way of man. It is fleeting, manipulative, corrupt, and deceptive. To put your trust in money is to put your trust in man, and we all know that people - even those with the best intentions - will often let us down. It’s just part of being imperfect. Again, I’m not trying to be cynical, just realistic.
But there is one that we can always trust and who never changes - and that is God. We might not always understand God (being imperfect as we are), but that doesn’t mean that God is any different today than He was yesterday, or than He will be tomorrow. God understands us, even though we don’t always understand Him. And He loves us - even though He knows that we cannot live up to His expectations. That is why we can trust God.
God’s trustworthiness does not rely on our trustworthiness. With people, if you betray someone’s trust, chances are they will betray you too. Not with God. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We can’t change Him, but He can change us!
Sometimes it’s hard to convey in writing the depth of emotion I feel about a certain subject. Perhaps I should take up poetry for such occasions. But God is unchanging, and that is exactly why we can always rely on Him! He is the rock! He is the sure foundation! No matter how many times we fall down and scrape our knees, He always has another band-aid and the love of a Father toward us.
I feel like I want to beg you to trust God. And I definitely want to caution you against trusting people - especially people who demand your trust even though they have not earned it. Put yourself in God’s hands, and do not be afraid!