The two most prescribed medications today are for anxiety and heartburn. We are obsessed with fear but so often fear the wrong things. Someone said there are 365 “Fear Nots” in the Bible. Technically, there are more than that. Fear is mentioned 457 -501 times according to which version you are reading. There is a “Fear Not” for all 365 days a year plus leap year! We need it every day.
Paul writes from prison, after being shipwrecked and snake-bitten, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment” (2 Tim. 1:7). The kind of fear here is the Greek word deilia. It is not the fear of God. It is always used in a bad sense. It is the kind of fear that immobilizes and paralyzes you. Fear is taking our eyes off of Jesus and putting them on our problem.
The Spirit of Fear
When you were a child, were you afraid of the dark? We grow up, but sometimes that little child in us is still scared of things. In my book Goodbye Fear, I talk about 10 common fears and anxieties. They include the fear of failure, the future, impossibilities, loneliness, insufficiency, and more. The last chapter leaves room for the reader to fill in the blank because fear is just so common and can come in so many forms!
The Spirit of Power
When Paul says “power,” he is talking about divine strength to overcome fear, face adversity, and resist temptation. It’s the same power that enabled David to defeat Goliath and that enabled Peter to preach on Pentecost. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you (Rom. 8:11)!
The Spirit of Love
Love is more than a feeling, it is a choice. First John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear….” Is God all-knowing, all-powerful, and always present? Yes. God is also love. We love Him only because He first loved us. Some people’s view of God is that He’s an angry God and mad at the world all the time. Your view of God will determine what your relationship with God will look like. God is holy and God is love. If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it!
The Spirit of Sound Judgement
The Holy Spirit gives us self-control. Freaking out is not a spiritual gift! Are we living in fear or in the power of the Spirit? Are we living in fear or demonstrating to the world that we are His disciples by the way we love one another? Are we living in fear or living daily in self-control? We have what it takes to get our eyes off of fear and on God.
The Spirit of Faith
When Paul tells Timothy that we have not been given a spirit of fear, he had just recalled his faith (2 Tim. 1:5). Our assignment is always greater than our ability. Success in life is fulfilling God’s purpose by His grace. Our world is dominated by negativity and anxiety. Don’t get me wrong, I am not minimizing the real threats and dangers. But the Bible shows us how to live by faith. When something is out of our control, it is still in God’s control. Faith is seeing things from God’s point of view. Magnify the Lord over your problems.
Paul also tells Timothy to “guard the good deposit through the Holy Spirit who lives in us” (2 Tim. 1:14). We have to guard what others try to take away and break the curse of fear. The next time the spirit of fear comes over you, SPOT it: S – Stand Your Ground (Ex. 14:13-14), P – Pray for Peace (Phil. 4:6-7), O – Oppose the Lies (2 Cor. 10:5), T – Trust in God (Ps. 56:3-4).
Who are you going to believe? Who are you going to trust? You can’t put your trust in your circumstances, health, finances, relationships, marriage, kids, other’s opinions, political parties, politicians, etc. Anxiety dominates society. Fear is contagious. Faith is also contagious. We have saving faith and living faith! Surround yourself with people of faith and keep your eyes on Jesus.
