The life of a Christian is not an easy life. Add to that being a wife, then being a mother, then also being a mother of school-aged children (no matter your educational choices), and the "easy" tally doesn't get any bigger.
Sometimes, it's not even just hard.
There are moments, days, and weeks where we could easily be gripped and overcome with fear.
It can be as simple as seeing all the opportunities for danger in the confines of a home.
It can be the crossing of a road, or the travelling in a car.
Circumstances can occur which bring fear to the front of our minds. Difficult times when we face trials and difficulties, and fearing the day ahead, never mind the future, can have an almost crippling effect.
Child birth, breastfeeding, and rearing a small family - and an ever growing family - can make fear nudge at our thoughts.
The "what ifs?" of life can become a weight around our neck, and fear creeps in until it consumes us.
Recently, on his way through systematic teaching on II Timothy, my husband preached on the verse in chapter 1, that many would have heard before.
It really struck my heart, as a woman whose heart is inclined towards fear, in many circumstances. It holds so much truth, and so much depth of meaning.
It directs our minds, firstly, to something that God has not given us.
Fear.
When we fear, it doesn't come from God. We are to fear GOD, but we are NOT to fear our circumstances, and the situations we may, or may not, encounter in life.
God has NOT given us fear.
If it's not from Him, where IS it coming from?
It's that sneaky old serpent, the wily one, the devil.
HE wants us to be so gripped with fear, that our eyes are taken clean off what God HAS given us, which is what the second part of the verse tells us.
If the fear isn't from Him, what DOES he want us to have?
Power.
Love.
A sound mind.
Do you see? Do you see what God has given?
A three-fold gift that encompasses body, heart and mind.
Power. God has given us power. This word, at its roots, is the word "dunamis". It's the root from which we get words like dynamite, and dynamic.
δύναμις
dunamis
doo'-nam-is
From G1410; force (literally or figuratively); specifically miraculous power (usually by implication a miracle itself): - ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.
Sometimes, it's not even just hard.
There are moments, days, and weeks where we could easily be gripped and overcome with fear.
It can be as simple as seeing all the opportunities for danger in the confines of a home.
It can be the crossing of a road, or the travelling in a car.
Circumstances can occur which bring fear to the front of our minds. Difficult times when we face trials and difficulties, and fearing the day ahead, never mind the future, can have an almost crippling effect.
Child birth, breastfeeding, and rearing a small family - and an ever growing family - can make fear nudge at our thoughts.
The "what ifs?" of life can become a weight around our neck, and fear creeps in until it consumes us.
Recently, on his way through systematic teaching on II Timothy, my husband preached on the verse in chapter 1, that many would have heard before.
It really struck my heart, as a woman whose heart is inclined towards fear, in many circumstances. It holds so much truth, and so much depth of meaning.
It directs our minds, firstly, to something that God has not given us.
Fear.
When we fear, it doesn't come from God. We are to fear GOD, but we are NOT to fear our circumstances, and the situations we may, or may not, encounter in life.
God has NOT given us fear.
If it's not from Him, where IS it coming from?
It's that sneaky old serpent, the wily one, the devil.
HE wants us to be so gripped with fear, that our eyes are taken clean off what God HAS given us, which is what the second part of the verse tells us.
If the fear isn't from Him, what DOES he want us to have?
Power.
Love.
A sound mind.
Do you see? Do you see what God has given?
A three-fold gift that encompasses body, heart and mind.
Power. God has given us power. This word, at its roots, is the word "dunamis". It's the root from which we get words like dynamite, and dynamic.
δύναμις
dunamis
doo'-nam-is
From G1410; force (literally or figuratively); specifically miraculous power (usually by implication a miracle itself): - ability, abundance, meaning, might (-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle (-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.
When we are feeling fearful, and weak, as the devil puts thoughts in our minds that are not of God, we need to claim that miraculous, supernatural power, that only comes from God. But, come from God it DOES! He has given it to us, and we need only use it.
The word also implicates abundance. It's not a power that fails, or runs out, like earthly power sources. It's never-failing, and all sufficient, in our battle against the temptations of the flesh and the devil. We don't need to let it have the victory in our lives, because we have power. He will give us physical strength to do all we need to do in the situation He has us walking through. We have spiritual power to battle the wicked one, and to quench his fiery darts.
What else does God give us?
Love.
Love is one of the most powerful gifts that God has given us. A heart that is loving in the way which God has intended us to, has the power to conquer all fear. If our hearts are filled up with loving God, and loving each other - if we are so consumed with love, gifted from God - then we won't give a second thought to fear.
ἀγάπη
agapē
ag-ah'-pay
From G25; love, that is, affection or benevolence; specifically (plural) a love feast: - (feast of) charity ([-ably]), dear, love.
I love the concept of a "love feast", here in Strongs! We need to have our hearts feasting upon love - we need to take our fill of it, and be satisfied with it. Relish it. Enjoy it. Savour it.
When we then have our hearts filled up with love, we won't fear.
How does the verse end? With a concept that every woman struggles with. I'm convinced it's more of a female thing.
Convinced.
A sound mind.
Our minds tend toward being over-thinkers. We over analyse, mull over, ponder and repeat, until we have ourselves in a tangled mess of thoughts that bring us to a place of crippling fear. Whether it's thinking about what OTHERS think of us, or thinking about what we may have said or done to offend others, or simply thinking about things that may never happen, we tie ourselves up in a web of thoughts that bring our minds to a place that is dark and fearful.
That is NOT having a sound mind.
σωφρονισμός
sōphronismos
so-fron-is-mos'
From G4994; discipline, that is, self control: - sound mind.
A sound mind is a mind that is brought into subjection. A mind over which we exercise self control. Not a mind where thoughts run away into endless mazes of unproductive fears and concerns.
No.
A mind that is focussed on the Saviour - the one who rules in our hearts and keeps us in perfect peace, if we only have the self control to keep our minds on Him.
Oh, my sinful, straying heart. My heart that fears, when it simply doesn't need to. I don't need to even spare a thought for anything further than right now. And, right now, I can claim the power, love and sound mind of Heavenly Father who cares for me more deeply than I will EVER know or understand.
My Saviour.
My Jesus.
He speaks strength to my heart instead of weakness.
He speaks love into my heart instead of enmity, bitterness and hate.
He speaks sound thoughts and peace into my mind instead of unrest, clamour and doubt.
So, how do I practically battle this fear that threatens my peace?
I arm myself for battle!
I fight with prayer, and I equip myself with His Word. If I keep His word to the front of my mind, I will be able to claim the promises - EVERY SINGLE ONE - that He has given in His word.
Search His Word daily, and keep a note of those promises, as He lays them upon your heart. Cherish them. Memorise them. Claim them.
And, cast out the fear and replace it with power, love and a mind that is fixed upon God.
.there is absolutely no reason to worry about what might happen, too. I have been terrible for that. Finally feeling the joy of casting ALL my cares on God.
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