Faith not Fear

The Apostle Paul had gone to prison for proclaiming the gospel, but he desired that his student Timothy would not fear but have faith – even when facing the possibility of imprisonment himself.

Faith is the opposite of fear, so you cannot have faith and fear both at the same time. The Lord does not give us fear, but sometimes we decide to pick it up. Fear holds us back from what God wants to do through us.

Look at the second part of the verse to see what God gives to his children in place of fear:

• Spirit of power. When the Holy Spirit enters our lives, we have his power. Imagine that! The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us (Romans 8.11).
• Spirit of love. Perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4.18). Jesus is the one who loves perfectly, and he gives you that same spirit of love and removes the spirit of fear. Loving others can be scary because we become vulnerable, but there is so much peace and joy that comes when we love others as the Lord loves us.
• Spirit of self-control. Fear makes us feel out of control, and it sometimes makes us do irrational things. Living a disciplined life does not coincide with a fearful life. Being disciplined at first may not seem fun, but we are most effective when we allow God to order our lives and guide our steps.

Don’t let fear hold you back today! Walk in God’s power and love!