2 Timothy 1:7, NIV – For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
The above verse was included in yesterday’s reading, but I didn’t mention it. It happens to be one on my favorite verses, so I couldn’t just move on without devoting one day to it.
Growing up, I was timid. I was the kid who never raised his hand in class. I never caused trouble and I avoided any smidgeon of conflict. Even when people said things I disagreed with, I usually remained silent. To be honest, even to this day, I’m more timid than not.
But under the influence of the Spirit, a holy fire deep within me finds a voice. I find courage to do things that I would have never done otherwise. I am able to speak truth that I know will not endear me to certain people. I have done things that scared me before. This Spirit has also pushed me to do things that deep parts of me didn’t want to do. It has caused me to question my attitudes about people I don’t like. It has given me compassion for people that I would have otherwise ignored. It has given me strength to love people who have not been kind to me. It has helped me forgive people that I would have never chosen to forgive on my own. The Spirt has also enabled me to keep my mouth shut when I was tempted to say something hurtful. When I hear Paul say that God’s Spirit “gives us power, love and self-discipline,” I know it is true because I’ve seen the truth play out in my life.
Too often though, I choose to quench the Spirit. I choose to indulge my more timid or unhelpful impulses. I feel the power of the Spirit available, but I choose not to access it. I understand fully what Paul says in Romans in the following lament; “what I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise.” (7:15) I used to think that this was a battle between God and me going on inside my own spirit. God would sometimes prevail and the result was good and I would prevail other times and the result was . . . well . . . not so good. But I have come to see that this dualistic understanding is flawed.
The assumption in that duality is that I’m bad and God is good, so the goal is to let God win. However, Genesis tells me that when God created me, I was made in God’s image. If God is good, then I am good too. The other problem with the God-good-me-bad idea is that it is the times that I am acting under the influence of God’s Spirit that I feel like I am being most true to myself. I feel more like the real me than those times I am acting out of fear/timidity. Fear causes me to act like something other than my true self and God’s Spirit prompts me to be who God made me in the first place.
The same is true of you. You are not you when you are fearful. Accessing God’s Spirit gives you the power, love, and self-discipline to be who you truly are and who you are is truly good! You are truly good because you are made in God’s image. Spend some time reminding yourself of that divine truth. Focus your attention on God’s presence within you. Then act from that place, not your fear.
Question: Thinking about the last few days, where have you seen that your actions were rooted in fear rather than who you truly are?
Prayer: God, help me be who I already am. Help me to trust the influence of your Spirit. Amen.
Prayer Focus: Spend some time praying for your own deepest needs today. While that might seem selfish, let me remind you that taking care of yourself (and praying for God to take care of you) is one of the best things you can do to make sure you are offering the best “you” to others. You should pray for your own needs every day. I’m just encouraging you to focus on it more intentionally today.
Song: Fear is a Liar – Zach Williams
Weekday Word w/ Eric 
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