A SPIRIT OF POWER, LOVE, AND SELF-DISCIPLINE

“For God has not given us
a spirit of fear and timidity,
but of power,
love, and self-discipline.
So never be ashamed
to tell others about our Lord.”
2 Timothy 1:7-8 NLT
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From time to time as we deal with people we face situations in which we feel intimidated or downright afraid. Some people are gripped with fear in front of a large crowd. All of us have found ourselves in a small group or even with just one other person, afraid to speak up lest we looked like a fool or be rejected. This sort of timidity and fear is especially common when we are attempting to tell unsaved people about the Lord. Some of us may feel threatened by negative feelings because of past failures or perhaps by actual demonic influences. Today’s Scriptures comes right to the point, God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity. Wherever that kind of hindering emotion may come from, it is not from God! What God has given us are three positive gifts which fully equip us so we will not be ashamed to tell others about our Lord.

First, He has given us a spirit of power. In Acts 1 Jesus told His disciples, You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere. To effectively tell others about the Lord, takes more than human ability, it takes the power of the Holy Spirit; and God has graciously given that power to every believer. We need to be reminded of that awesome reality every time we share the Gospel in word or deed – it’s not just us – it’s the power of God’s Spirit working though us!

Secondly, God has given us a spirit of love. This of course is not a reference to romantic love for someone of the opposite sex, but rather an unconditional God-like love for people. God’s unconditional love expressed itself most clearly through the sacrifice of His only Son for us who had turned our backs on Him. With that kind of love in our hearts we are enabled to witness to the lost no matter what it may cost.

Thirdly, God has given us a spirit of self-discipline. We may struggle with feelings of inferiority and fear at the very thought of sharing our faith. We don’t need to be controlled by such negative thoughts. Self-discipline is the ability to bring those impulses under control, and it’s one of God’s gifts to us!