2 Timothy 1:3-7 (KJV)
I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Devotion
I have the type of personality that is prone to anxiety – I can lay awake at night with a hamster wheel of worry going round and round. This passage in 2 Timothy reminds me that those fears aren’t coming from my Lord and Savior.
What it says instead is that God gives us a spirit of POWER, and of LOVE, and of a SOUND MIND. These have become almost a mantra for me in the face of a fear-soaked environment.
Our algorithms and the fast-changing pace may make us feel powerless. The noise from bots, and well-meaning (or not…) friends and colleagues may leave us with feelings of betrayal, loneliness, and disconnection. Our minds are filled constantly with violent images and anxiety-producing messaging.
But scripture tells us:
The Lord will comfort Israel again and have pity on her ruins.(Isaiah 51:3 NLT)
He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber.
The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. (Psalm 121: 3, 7)
We certainly have many reasons to be afraid, just as the Israelites did in the time of Isaiah and just as Jesus did in the time leading up to the cross. But we don’t have to live with that spirit of fear. We can ask God for the gift of power, love, and sound mind every day and believe that He will provide it.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, help us to fan the flame of our faith by remembering all the wonderful things you have done. Remind us of the faith of our mothers and fathers that brought us to where we are. Help us to discern where the spirit of fear has taken over and replace it instead with your power and your love so we can experience a sound mind.
Rachel Kraft