Do we live in constant fear of making a mistake? Do we suppress great creative ideas because we are afraid they will fail? Then remember this: Many errors are serviceable and some are essential to ultimate success.
In interviews, the first heroic climbers of Mt. Everest pointed that the mountain couldn’t have been scaled sooner because a certain number of mistakes had to be made before man know enough to do it successfully. The mountain could never have been conquered if man had never attempted to climb it for fear of making mistakes.
People are afraid of many things, the dark, the unknown, high places, other people, failure, bad breath, not making it into God’s family, etc... Our minds or bodies can’t be at rest when fear is pumping adrenalin into our system signaling us to flight or flee.
Most fears can be traced to spiritual problems, because the ultimate cause of fear is sin. We don’t want to face God in prayer when we have sinned against Him. We don’t want to face our parents when we have disobeyed them. We don’t want to face the supervisor when we have failed to carry out our assigned responsibilities.
Why are we afraid? Simple. Because we haven’t done what we know we should. We have disobeyed, broken a law or rule and the outcome is fear.
It is God’s Holy Spirit that enables us to serve God and by its power we can overcome fear and weakness. Notice II Timothy 1:7. The word fear in this verse means “timidity, cowardice.”
Remember our commission in Matthew 24:14. It is futile for us to try to serve God without the power of the Holy Spirit. Talent, training and experience cannot take the place of the power of God’s Spirit.
The Holy Spirit also gives us love (Galatians 5:22-23). If we have love for God’s people and those who don’t understand God’s ways, even for our enemies, we will not fear to endure suffering to accomplish the work of God.
Selfishness, the opposite of love for others, leads to fear, because if we are selfish, we are interested only in what we will get out of serving and obeying God and we will be afraid of losing our dignity, power or money. True Christian love, energized by God’s Sprits, enables us to sacrifice for others and not be afraid (Romans 5:5).
God’s Spirit also gives self-control, a sound mind. This word is related to the words sober, sober minded and sobriety in many of the apostle Paul’s letters (Titus 1:8, 2:2, 6, 12; I Timothy 2:15).
“Self discipline” is a better translation of “sound mind.” It describes people who are sensible-minded and balanced, who have their lives under control.
The Amplified Bible read “a calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control” (II Timothy 1:7). We should be thankful to God for these qualities of His Spirit.
Paul, facing certain death, as a prisoner in Rome wrote to Timothy an exhortation that applies to each of us. Paul’s words are encouraging to any who have fears from time to time.
Timothy did not need any new spiritual ingredients in his life; all he had to do was “stir up” what he already had. Paul had written and urged in his first letter, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee” (I Timothy 4:14). Now Paul added with emphasis, “Stir up the gift of God” (II Timothy 1:6).
As long as we are still striving to overcome, the Holy Spirit does not leave us when we stumble or fall short of what God wants. Read what Christ promised in John 14:15-16.
But God cannot fill us with His Spirit, empower us with courage and love and use us, if we neglect our spiritual lives. That is why prayer and Bible study are so important. They are fuel to help “stir up” the Holy Spirit.
It is possible to grieve the Spirit. Study Ephesians 4 and then ask, “Am I grieving the Holy Spirit?” We must examine ourselves daily and pray without ceasing so that we do not quench the Spirit (I Thessalonians 5:19).
Read what John was inspired to write in I John 4:18.
Fear is not one of the fruits of the Spirit. Ask God for His perfect love and rid yourself of fear.
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