Spirit of Fear.
Ok, so a lot of times we like to pick favorite verses and promises in the bible which help get us through hard times in life, which is great. But these verses can become so much more beneficial if we dig deeper and understand the context.
One of those verses that everyone seems to know is 2 Timothy 1:7, which says,
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
One of my good friends mentioned this verse and my sometimes over-analytical mind couldn't help but dig deeper and ask some questions… What was the background, why was this being said, and what does it really mean for me??
Ok so let's back up. This letter was written in a cold, dark, damp jail cell by Paul. Paul the guy who had been converted from Saul, the religious leader who would kill Christians, to Paul the religious leader who wrote some of the best books in the bible. Paul met a dude named Timothy on one of his trips to help early Christians and he letter became his mentor. Timothy went on many trips with Paul and helped lead many of the early church members along with Paul. 2nd Timothy is the second letter Paul wrote to encourage his mentee, Timothy, while he was locked up.
Ok so back to the verse, God hasn't given you a spirit of fear but of sound mind... I think we look at this verse backwards. The tone we read it in makes it seem like Paul was telling Timothy to stop being scared but this is only partially true. Yes, Paul was in jail, but I don’t think Timothy was really as worried and “scared” about that as we may think. Timothy is used to this. Timothy had basically been raised in this environment where his coworkers were being killed for doing the same thing he was called to do and it doesn't seem like it phased him that much before, so why now? I believe Paul was focusing on the last part of the verse when he wrote this to Timothy. Paul wasn't telling Timothy the power he had to gain, he was reminding him of the power he already had… Power, Love, and a sound mind. Paul was telling Timothy to continue the work he was doing while he sat out. Paul didn’t want Timothy to focus on the fear. He wanted him to focus on the power.
Stop worrying about what God hasn’t given you and pay attention to what He has given you. Power, Love, and a Sound Mind.
So that’s my first point. God didn't give you a spirit of fear… when God made you, He placed the very opposite in you. God made you powerful and expects you to accomplish more than you could ever imagine, He is just is waiting for you to realize that and trust the process. Trust the process He has already begun in you. Trust His Process!
Secondly, Paul mentions that he sees the faith of Eunice and Lois, Timothy's mother and grandmother, in him. Timothy was young when he began to work for God and this is partly due to how influential his mother and grandmother were on his life and upbringing. It is implied that Timothy's Greek father died when he was young, so these women took the front seat in his maturation. Multiple places in the New Testament mention how growing up and being poured into by these wonderful women really prepared Timothy for the work he would later do. Even if you think you didn't have the right upbringing or didn't grow in the right environment, God put you there for a reason and you learned more than you may think. Timothy was half greek with Greek customs, didn't fit in with Jews, and grew up without a father, but God’s plan was laced through all of it. God made you, ( Insert Name Here ) for a reason and gave you your story for a reason. Don't run from your story. God knows the plans He has for you. And everything the devil meant to derail you is being recycled for your good! He knows how this will end. I could stay on this topic for hours because EVERYTHING in our life is there to prepare us for something greater. Learn from every situation. God is using your story to help someone get through theirs. Everything you may think of as a setback is really a setup for the greatness God is about to use you to accomplish. Once again, Trust His Process.
The last point I wanna make is about building the fire. Right before the spirit of fear verse, Paul reminds Timothy to “fan into flame” the gifts God has given him. I liked the visual Paul gave here. I don't know if yall like to play with fire like I do, but if you add the right amount of oxygen to a flame it gets bigger. Paul is telling Timothy to grow his gifts. This is another concept I could spend a long time on, but God does expect us to build on and strengthen the gifts He already gave us. Let's go back to the concept of fanning gifts into flame. It really only takes a spark to start a forest fire. Science taught me that you just need Fuel, Oxygen, and Heat… with the love and passions God has given us as a fuel, and the spark that Paul already said he could see in Timothy (the spark that's in us too ), imagine the power that could come from adding some air? So blow. Put energy into your gifts! So build! Don't stop growing in your gifts! Keep moving forward! Trust! His! Process!
So bro, let's think about 2 Timothy 1:7 from this new perspective. Even though it may seem like you're alone, walking in the dark, keep going! Even if you think you aren't good enough, God put the spark in you already, keep glowing! And when you finally realize the great potential He put in you, keep blowing!
So essketit!! Start that business! Change that major! Start that ministry! Preach that message! Help that friend! Sing that song! Mentor that kid! STOP WAITING! GOD WANTS TO USE YOU NOW! You're more than capable. You don't have to learn more first! You don't have to be older! Don't wait for the right time because today is the start of your future! Go! Be great! See what happens when you let the creative director of EVERYTHING use you how He wants to….
Later, remember me when you’re president 😌🤞🏽
Please consider donating to this ministry. It cost to continue to put out this content on this platform and I could not support this ministry on my own without your generous donations! Please consider donating through CashApp (CashTag $ThoughtsByPace) or by clicking the “Donate” link on the site. Thanks for your continued support!
March 5, 2020
I wrote this on the morning of July 19th, 2018. I was about two months into 19 and had no idea that my time with God then would help me years later. Continue to move forward. You are on a good track. Soon you’ll look back on this time and be amazed at how far you have come.
September 6, 2021
Love going back to old devotionals in my vault lol. I said something earlier about how it only takes a small spark to start a forest fire and there’s another point I want to bring out - only you can prevent forest fires. Give those anxieties to Jesus. Let Him take the wheel. It’s so easy to see the weight of our calling and be afraid but when we compare it to Jesus there is peace. God made you for amazing things. You’re more than capable. It’s not about how good you are but about how good He is. Keep going! Keep growing! Keep glowing!
