What Spirit Has God Given You?

 January 12, 2024

Friday

2 Timothy 1:7 (NASB 2020) 7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

The Christian life does not protect us from our own trepidations. All of us fear something. Some people fear speaking in front of a crowd. Some people fear heights. Some people fear crowds in general. It is natural to fear some things. 

The word translated “timidity” has the connotation of cowardice. This is a fear that keeps us from doing what we need to do. It keeps us from obeying God. It is the fear that lacks trust in God so that we don’t tithe. It is the fear that expects the negative result that keeps us from speaking the gospel to others. It is the fear that taking a stand for the Lord in moral issues may cause us to lose a promotion, an election or a raise.

Power, love and disciple overcome this cowardice. There may still be some fear but we act against that fear so that we prove ourselves to be brave because we acted even though we were afraid.

The power that God gives us is His power. Receiving that power is an act of faith. We are weak and He perfects His power in this. We admit that we can’t do what He has told us to do but we are determined that it will be done. Thus, He empowers us to do His will.

The love we have from God results in a love that we return to Him. It results in a love for others. It becomes the motivating factor that causes us to make a volitional decision to do what God has commanded.

The self-control or discipline that God gives us comes from a mind set on Him. A mind set on the Spirit results in decisions agreeable with the Spirit. They are right decisions and they defy worldly wisdom. They are decisions that may demand sacrifice but the sacrifice is seen as a reasonable price to accomplish the Lord’s commands.

Yes, even today, you may be faced with something that you do not want to do. But God did not give you a spirit of cowardice that backs away from things because they are hard or risky or fearful. You act because of what He has gifted you with. He has given you power, and love and self-control.