A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day (August 31, 2016)
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)
There are at least 170 scriptures in the Bible where God tells us to “fear not”. Some people say that count is closer to 365 (0ne for every day of the year). Whatever the true count is, God is trying to impress on us that a “spirit of fear” is not something we should have on us.
I can remember growing up and being so afraid to speak in public. Somehow, I was able to avoid any public speaking in high school but when I got to college it was a different story. I had to take this one class where you had to give a speech. That was the scariest thing I ever did in college and I was not good at all. In fact, I froze about half way through the speech and totally lost my train of thought. That was the only class that I made a “D” in throughout college.
You can just imagine what I thought when I felt God calling me to preach. No way God! I can’t speak in front of people. You have made a big mistake. I don’t even know what to say. On and on my excuses went. Well, we are now in our 34th year of ministry and I have spoken before thousands of people and have never run out of anything to say.
There are a few things I have learned through these many years of speaking that may help you face your fears, whether that be speaking or a totally different fear:
You have to run toward your fears – You have to do it afraid. For me, I had to speak afraid. The more I spoke, the more fear had to bow. Take every opportunity to run toward your fears.
God will help you if you are just willing to go – Two-thirds of God’s name is GO. You have to take the first step! When I was complaining about not having anything to say, God gave me this scripture: Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. (Philippians 4:9) God will always supply what you need if you will just stay close to Him and keep learning, keep receiving, keep hearing, and keep going.
Fear is from the enemy – To accomplish what God wants to do in your life is a battle. If you are supposed to witness to someone, or lay hands on a sick person, or visit someone in a prison, or speak to a group about Jesus, the enemy will always oppose that and he uses fear as his primary tool. The thoughts from the enemy will be something similar to this: that person is going to be offended at what you say or do; you are going to look really silly if that person does not get healed; it’s too dangerous to go to that prison; those people are going to laugh at you; etc., etc. You have to realize He is a liar!!! If God be for us, who can be against us!!! (Romans 8:31)
God has called us all to do great and mighty things. As one great American President (Franklin D. Roosevelt) once said, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” So true!!
