“God has not given us a spirit of fear.”
Have you ever been asked to do something hard, and you felt like the ask was too much?
Fear has a way of pushing our limits, but when God is the One asking, how do we respond?
Amanda had already sold everything they owned and moved across the Atlantic with her husband and two girls to a foreign country in West Africa. Would God ask her to give Him her children, too?
Under challenging circumstances, and after eliminating all other options, Amanda and her husband faced the only viable decision for their girls’ education—to send them to a boarding school in another country.
Amanda: Lord, I don’t know what you are doing, but I think you are stupid. You have lost your mind. I quit my job when our first child was born because I had always wanted to be a mom. And now you are asking me to give my girls to a country I don’t know anything about, have them live there, and we would barely see them.
You are stupid!
And then God did what every loving father does: disciplined me to help me see the truth. I got a spanking through a simple question that cut straight into my heart.
God: So, now you don’t trust me?
Amanda: The question was like a punch in the stomach, taking my breath away. Face-down and sobbing, I admitted He was right; not wanting to do this is not trusting Him.
I told Him I would let Him have our girls because I would trust what He had for their lives.
My prayer then became, I need to know God, that You will be with them, that they will grow in their relationship with You, and that they will thrive.
God has faithfully answered that prayer.
God does not want us to be fearful or live a life filled with fear. 2 Timothy 1: 7 reminds us of this: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (NLT)
It doesn’t get easier, but I know that God is with me, and He is with them. I survive because I lean into the truth, and He gives me peace.
Amanda is not a modern-day Christian superwoman. She is someone like you and me. She is learning each day to grow in her ability to lessen her fear and live the strong and courageous life God calls her to live.
You, too, can live fearless.
I pray that you realize because of Christ that fear is not a controlling force in your life but that love, power, and self-discipline are controlling factors. May you boldly go forth into all the days ahead as you fully become who God is calling you to be. So be it, in Jesus’ name.
Meditate: I have the spirit of power, love, and self-discipline.
Reflect: What would be the most challenging thing God could ask you to do? How can you surrender those things that you fear most? What are the truths you will tell yourself when those fears come knocking? What else would you add to your proactive fear plan?
Deeper: (As you read through these additional verses, ask the Spirit to give you wisdom, and teach you more about how He can strengthen your trust and build a plan to help you live fearless). Psalm 56:3, Isaiah 41:10, 2 Timothy 1:7, Joshua 1:9
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(Bible References: NLT – New Living Translation)
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