“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 (NKJV)
Break Free of Fear
Sometimes Scripture is very plain, and truth readily stands out. In this passage, Paul admonishes Timothy with some of this type of wisdom. The truth to embrace in these words is that we do not have to fear, but God does not stop there. Paul tells us that the Lord also offers us a powerful spirit, His love, and a sound mind.
We must embed these truths in our heart by detoxing our spirit from lies, our body from addictions, and our soul from relying on feelings. Some of the primary ways we can do this are through fasting and prayer. Practicing these disciplines allows us to disconnect from the world and connect to God. This affords us the opportunity to create margin in our lives and build an infrastructure for healing and freedom.
A powerful spirit comes through humbling ourselves before God, trusting that His way is best, and committing to a life of surrender to Christ’s purpose for our life. Apart from Him we cannot achieve anything of lasting impact. When we trust God, we are submitting to His plan and purpose. He has the best in mind for us! Why wouldn’t it be a good idea to submit to that?
We were created for love!
God wants us to develop an intimate relationship with Him through experiencing His love. Our list of things we find wrong with ourselves has nothing to do with our acceptability to Him. Only once we know His unconditional love can we give it away. Make sure to receive God’s love today!
We must stay in the Word if we want a sound mind. Faith comes by hearing but so does fear. What are you listening to? Focus in and listen to God in order to foster a mind that is willing to follow His lead, renewed in His truth, and set on following His plan.
As we live with confidence that what Paul said to Timothy is true, we will live out the truth God has prepared for us. He is willing and able to clean us up. Run to Him now and break free of the fear that wants to keep you from experiencing His promises of a powerful spirit, a love that is unfailing, and a sound mind!
— Mark Maenche
If you would like to submit a reader devotional, please email all submissions to jason@sportsspectrum.com.
