THE DEBILITATING GRIP OF FEAR CAN BE DEFEATED!

BIBLE PASSAGE:
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)

MEDITATION:
Jesus promised us that God the Father would send the Holy Spirit to believers.
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, 
will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said 
to you. (John 14:26)

This promise is a part of His plans for those who love and follow His Son.
However, it is our responsibility to embrace the Spirit, 
and to invite Him into our lives.
And when we do, we allow Him to become an active part of our lives. 
Then, we begin to develop a trust 
that His will is much better than our own will.

Does that mean we think differently and act differently?
Sure, but when we do, we discover new blessings.
Some of those blessings are mentioned in 2 Timothy.
We have a new spirit that is devoid of fear.
We may still have concerns at times, but the cold chill of fear, 
which can easily destroy our hopes and joys, has been defeated.

One of the unique things about our Heavenly Father is, whenever He 
removes something, He often provides something to replace the void.
In this case, He replaces fear with a new spirit, which has confidence 
to overcome challenges, knows how to express love through words and actions, 
and has the wisdom to make good choices.
This new change in us replaces our self-centeredness 
with a new sensitivity to the needs of others. 

Many diseases of both the body and mind are self-inflicted. 
Ulcers can be caused by worry and anxiety; heart attacks 
can be caused by overexertion and failure to maintain good health. 
Unjustified worry, fear, prejudice, hatred, anger and envy 
can contribute to mental stress, which could lead to mental illness. 

The scriptures tell us that we need to accept the fact that when we 
come to the Lord confessing our sins and promising to follow Him, 
we will need to make some changes in our lives. 
That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about 
Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your 
old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made 
new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to 
be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:20-24)

The good news is, God sends us the Holy Spirit 
as an advocate to help us make those changes.
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, 
will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said 
to you. (John 14:26)

ACTION:
Have you confessed your sins, 
received salvation, and surrendered your life to the Lord?
If so, how have you handled God’s gift of the Holy Spirit?
Have you invited Him into your life 
and embraced Him as your Friend and Advocate?

Hopefully, you have not allowed Satan to convince you 
that you can compromise your faith and commitment
in order to avoid “putting off your old self”.  

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, fears sometimes have a way of overwhelming me. 
Help me to remember and to claim Your gift of power, love, and a 
healthy mind. Teach me what it means to allow Your gift of the Holy 
Spirit to become an active part of my life, so I will be blessed as my 
‘old self’ is replaced with a ‘new self’, which has a mindset similar to 
that of Your Son, Jesus.”

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