Faith Over Fear
As someone who is naturally fearful, the impact of fear continues to affect me today and sometimes it seems like an endless battle to overcome. When we are anxious or worried about something it is usually tied to the fear of what may happen or the fear of the unknown. Fear tells us that God can’t be trusted and that we need to take control of the situation. Fear can diminish the greatness of God and elevate the impact of worldly opinions in our lives. Fear can cause us to try to hide our sins, instead of repenting and seeking others for help. Fear can paralyze us from taking action and prevent us from taking risks. Fear can lead to destructive consequences, but God does not give us a spirit of fear.
To be clear I am not talking about fearless recklessness as God gave us wisdom to use sound judgment and fear alerts us of potential danger to protect us from harm. The type of fear we want to overcome are the ones that overwhelm your life and paralyze you from doing the will of God. In the bible “do not fear” is mentioned multiple times throughout the bible. Yet how do we practically overcome our fears?
2 Timothy 1:7 gives us hope as believers to overcome the spirit of fear by understanding what God has given us.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love and sound judgment”.
God has given us the power of the Holy Spirit. When we are doing God’s work, sharing His word and representing His Kingdom we can have the assurance that God is with us.
God has given us a spirit of love which drives out fear. 1 John 4:18-19 says,
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.”
As believers we can live in confidence, faith and trust in God who is Sovereign over all things. We do not need to be afraid because we are resting in God’s love. We are to show and share this same love with those around us. God has also given us the spirit of sound judgment and self-control, in contrast to the panic and confusion that comes in fearful situations. Throughout my time at TCM, I can attest to the fact that God has given me joy through chaos and peace that makes no sense.
Paul wrote this letter to Timothy because boldness matters; without it, we can’t fulfill God’s purpose for our lives.When you’re following God’s plan for your life, it can be easy to become afraid. God often asks us to do things that feel bigger than we are. Timothy, like us all needed to be reminded that we have the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit. God empowers us to take His power, love and calm thinking to overcome fear to be used by Him for His glory and for His purposes.
I am amazed at how God has answered my prayers when I was filled with fear and worry of the future. I had a multitude of fears, insecurities and excuses that added to my list of reasons to not say yes to follow Jesus. I was fearful of bugs, the dark, spiritual warfare, persecution and safety. I worried about financial stability, being uncomfortable and about the unknown future. God has a funny sense of humour, because I have experienced almost everything I was fearful of serving here at KG. Yet through these experiences, God helped me overcome some of my fears and taught me to depend on Him daily.
“Lord, here I am, use me.” This one sentence changed the trajectory of my life and I am thankful that I didn’t let my fears prevent me from following God. Please pray that our children and youth may find true peace, rest and comfort in Christ alone. Pray that I may find true freedom and joy by confronting fears that continue to affect the other aspects of my life.
What are you afraid of? In what ways are your thoughts, actions or lack of actions driven by fear?
Where does the spirit of fear show up in your life? How does 2 Timothy 1:7 encourage you in your fears?