ARE YOU BOLD OR TIMID? OUT OF CONTROL OR SELF-DISCIPLINED?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity,
but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
(2 Timothy 1:7)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever noticed that some people are bold about their faith when
they are at church, but away from the church they are more timid about
it? What causes the change? It would have to be either the change of
environment, or possibly the insincerity of faith, wouldn’t it?

The actions of many of us are influenced or controlled by an innate
desire to ‘fit in’. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be liked,
unless it causes us to compromise or hide our faith. When our God
graciously gives us salvation when we admit we are sinners and
commit to following Jesus, we become His disciples.

When we read the bible, we get a clearer picture of the challenges of
God’s disciples. Do we see them trying to ‘fit in’? We read about one
occasion where Peter denied Jesus three times out a fear of the kind
of consequences he would face if others knew he was a friend and
follower of Jesus.

But overall, we see that when the disciples had a choice of being liked
by others, or being faithful to Jesus, they chose Jesus every time even
though it caused problems and suffering at times. God’s Word set the
standards for those committed to following Jesus, and if we want to
be faithful then our faith should take precedence over being liked.

The scriptures tell us that God gave us a spirit of power. Doesn’t that
sound like we should be bold about our faith? We should be so excited
about our salvation that we are glad to tell others about it. Some seem
almost embarrassed to admit it, when asked if they are a Christian.

But God gave to those who belong to Him even more, He gave them a
spirit of love and self-discipline. God wants those who belong to His
family to have the same mindset as His Son, Jesus Christ.
    You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh
    but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the
    Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does
    not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong
    to Christ.
    (Romans 8:9)

God wants us to love others because Jesus loves others. He wants
us to have self-discipline because Jesus was self-disciplined. Even
though He didn’t want to suffer on the cross, Jesus was self-disciplined
and did what His Father asked Him to do.

Love and self-discipline are often joined together. There are times
when we must exercise self-discipline so we can show love. If we
allow attitudes such as anger, frustration, lack of patience and disdain
to control us, then we will not be able to show love. However, when we
choose to discipline ourselves and suppress those feelings, we will find
that showing love becomes much easier.

Self-discipline is also beneficial to our health. We can develop ulcers
when we allow worry and anxiety to control us. We can have heart
attacks from overexertion, if we fail to discipline our efforts to stay
healthy by maintaining good eating habits and adequate exercise.

Uncontrolled worry, fear, prejudice, hatred and envy (just to name a few),
can all be contributors to mental stress that may lead to mental illnesses.
If we have the mindset of Christ, then worry will be offset by trust, hatred
will be offset by love, and fear will be offset by faith. We can understand
why God gives the spirits of power, self-discipline and love to those who
belong to Him.

ACTION:
Questions to consider:
    – Do I feel I have the spirit of power, love and self-discipline?
    – Am I timid about my faith, or do I have faith that’s strong at all times?
    – Do I allow my desire to be liked, control how and when I express my faith?
    – Do I hide my faith at times depending on my circumstances?
    – Do others (all others) know the sincerity and boldness of my faith?
    – Am I apologetic for following Jesus,
       or do I want to encourage others to follow Him as well?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for the three powerful spirits
You give to those who belong to You. Teach me to love as
Jesus loves. Teach me to boldly express my faith in Jesus
through my words, thoughts and actions. Show me how to
practice self-discipline so I can live a life of faith similar to
the life Jesus lived when He walked among us. Help me to
develop the same characteristics and attitudes as Your Son,
Jesus. Guide me in my efforts to keep my mind on You and
not the things of this world. Remind me often that I am a
disciple who represents You, and that I may be the only
glimpse of Jesus someone who is lost might ever see.”

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