.....gift

 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind 2 Timothy 1:7

Fear is one of the most common companions of the human heart. We fear illness, failure, loss and the unknown future. We fear what people will say if we stand for what is right. Even faithful believers can find their courage shrinking when the task before them seems too large. The apostle Paul knew this well, and in a letter to his young friend Timothy, he gave him a reminder that still speaks to us today.

Paul begins with what God has not given. The spirit of fear does not come from Him. Fear that freezes us, that silences our witness or that makes us run from duty is not the work of the Holy Spirit. This does not mean that a Christian will never feel afraid. It means that fear does not have to rule us, because God has given us something far stronger to stand in its place.

The first gift is power. This is not our own strength, which so often fails, but the power of God working within us. It is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, now given to ordinary believers who face ordinary days. When the burden is heavy, we are not left to carry it alone. God supplies the strength the moment requires.

The second gift is love. Love turns our attention away from ourselves and toward God and others. Fear asks, "What will happen to me?" Love asks, "How can I serve?" A heart filled with God's love finds courage it never knew it had, because it is no longer focused on its own safety. As love grows, fear loses its grip.

The third gift is a sound mind: clear, steady and self-controlled thinking. Fear makes us imagine the worst and act in haste. The Spirit helps us see our situation truthfully, weigh it calmly and trust God with what we cannot control. Ellen White gives us this assurance: "The trial will not exceed the strength that shall be given us to bear it" Steps to Christ, p. 125

Growing in grace does not mean we never face frightening things. It means we face them with what God has given us. When fear knocks at the door, we can answer with His power, His love and His sound mind, and walk forward knowing that the One who calls us will also carry us through.