2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
I am sitting in my recliner as I do almost every
morning. I’ve spent quiet time at the
Throne of my Father as I’ve poured out my heart to Him writing in my prayer
journal. I’ve read from my Bible as well
as a short devotional. The devotion that
I read today was from 2 Timothy 1:7 which seemed to be particularly fitting for
where I am right now in my life. I’m
forty years old, expecting a precious little girl, and am scheduled for labor
to be induced in two days. I have three
sons and had a full term still-born daughter sixteen years ago. They induced with my last child and will
induce with Anna Kate to help prevent another cord accident due to the close
confinement within my womb at the end of the pregnancy. So, at times, fear grips me as I fail to feel
her movements as I think that I should. Although I’ve experienced a very healthy
pregnancy, free of complications, my doctor said that the real test would be
the process of labor for the “over forty” mother. Thanks, doc....more fear to have to
combat. My husband and I are so
fortunate for him to be able to stay at home and keep our precious angel. But, we’ve gone from two solid incomes to one
and what income he currently has with his growing business. This requires that we trust God from day to
day to meet our financial needs. I daily
watch my two oldest sons struggle with the decisions of life that they must
make at their ages; what girl to date, what direction for their lives to take,
what major to declare, and the daily decision of “live by the world or cling to
God”..I pray for them daily and try so hard to let go and “let God” for fear
that I would be too overbearing. These
are just some of my personal fears that I have to let go of. At work, our district has experienced
tremendous budget cuts from the state and stand to experience even deeper cuts
next fiscal year. I must rely on God to
give me the wisdom to make the right decisions in order to make it through this
year “in the black” as well as to balance the budget for next year. With my position comes very tough decisions
almost daily in every realm of education, I must rely on God for His
guidance. I certainly could not do it
alone. The verse referenced above is so
true. God does not give us a spirit of
timidity and fear. Instead, we should
remember that we have the God of the Universe, all powerful, all knowing,
omnipresent living on the inside of us.
He gives us a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. We should immediately put fear in its place
when it fleets across our mind. We
should remind the enemy that we don’t have all of the answers, that we are not
the strongest, most intelligent, or “all knowing” but that we are a child of
the Most High and that He lives within us.
As we daily turn to Him, submitting our every member completely to His
service, He will in His lovingly wise way...in His kind and gentle way...He
will weave all together to be in our best interest. He will never leave nor forsake us, and He
will patiently, day by day, give us exactly what we need to get by. We serve an Awesome God...a God of agape
love, grace, mercy, and tremendous strength.....a God who wants to give us all
the best blessings if only we will fully submit and be led by Him... second by
second of every day. He stands ready and
waiting to allay our fears and to fill us with His power, agape love, and
self-discipline. If only we will rise
daily and tell the enemy, “No! I will not fear!”, and instead, choose to stand
on the promises of God and in His strength.
Written by Donna Shea
Written by Donna Shea