“Wherefore, I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:6-7).
If you live your life by fear, eventually it will destroy you. Fear is the opposite of faith, in that fear produces death and faith produces life.
In verse six, the Apostle Paul ministers to Timothy and lays hands on him. The power of God comes on Timothy and he is filled with the Holy Ghost. Then Paul tells him, “You have a supernatural ennoblement to carry you through this natural problem. Now stir up the gift of God that is in you, Timothy, for God has not given you a Spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind.”
Listen to me, if you are a Spirit-filled believer, these same words apply to you. It’s time for you stir up the gift that is in you. You shouldn’t be full of fear. The world is fearful because the only power they have is their own natural strength. But we are strong in a power that is beyond us.
So you don’t have to live in fear. I don’t know about you, but I will not concern myself with whether or not anthrax is in every envelope I open. Nor will I see anthrax every time some sugar or salt is on the table. Nor will I dive for cover every time I see an airplane over head, and I don’t see a terrorist behind every wall – all that’s fear.
Fear will destroy you. You may say, “but I don’t have any natural protection.” Yes you do. You have something better than natural protection – you have the Holy Ghost. You have strength that comes only from God, and God’s strength is more than enough to deal with any threat in the natural.
Don’t lean on the flesh; stay in the Spirit. You are going to have to apply spiritual power to the natural circumstances in your life, but remember the victory is yours. The weapons God has given you are highly effective; they work against the enemy.
So refuse to live in fear, instead get stronger and stronger in the Lord. When the devil comes against you, remember God has not given you the Spirit of fear, you have been given a Spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. So be strong in the power that is beyond you – be strong in the Lord.
Scripture References: Isaiah 35:4-8; Matthew 10:26-28
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Keith Butler has been an ordained minister since 1974. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and holds diplomas from Canada Christian College and Rhema Bible Training Center.
He serves in ministry with the support of his lovely wife, Pastor Deborah L. Butler, and their children: Pastor Andre Butler (granddaughters Alexis, Angela, and April), Pastor MiChelle Ferguson and husband Pastor Lee (grandson Lucas), and Minister Kristina Jenkins and husband Pastor Joel (grandsons Andrew and Austin, and granddaughter Alyssa).