For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV)
“It’s tension right in the center of my chest. I can’t breathe, like there’s an ache that won’t go away no matter how happy I try to pretend to be…” I’ve heard this a lot, especially here in the United States. The spirit of fear, anxiety, stress, and dread has made itself such a part of our everyday lives, we’ve learned to live with it and accept it as normal, even though we hate it. It’s the spirit of fear that causes good people to snap when circumstances overload them with stress. It’s the iron weight that pulls people down into a pit of depression. Just willpower alone cannot break us free from it — only the power of God can destroy its hold on us.
God wants us to know without a doubt, that what He has to give us is the polar opposite of fear. Power. Love. A clear, strong, and decisive, sound mind. When we allow His Spirit to operate in us, our thoughts and perspectives make perfect sense. Our mind is practical, spiritual, and leads us to success. We understand our power over evil and over circumstances. We can freely love ourselves, love God and love each other with no fear of being hurt, because He is in us and we know it. That is just the tip of the iceberg of what the Spirit of God wants to do in us.
People who feel no need to seek the baptism in the Holy Spirit, unknowingly resign themselves to a life of fear. They don’t see any need for God’s power or love or even a sound mind. They assume that the horrible aching void in their chest will just go away once they get a raise or once their spouse quits being so annoying, or if they just have a few drinks to dull the pain. If they could see and feel what God’s Spirit is offering them, they would do whatever it took to find it, but unfortunately their dull minds keep them blindly and pridefully stuck.
How can we help those who are held captive by fear but don’t understand that God has the answer? We need to receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit ourselves, to begin seeking Him, hungering and thirsting for Him as Jesus said on the Sermon on the Mount. Become living examples of the Spirit of power to overcome all obstacles, with no fear of evil, and no fear of the future. Love to enjoy those around us, to find the good in everything, large or small. And a sound, intelligent faith that reasons with God, based on His promises. Nothing can shake a man or woman with the Spirit of God!
Weigh the options. Fear, stress, anxiety and dread on one hand, power, love, and a clear mind on the other. One held captive to the spirit of this world, the other, filled to overflowing with the Spirit of God. And you say that seeking the baptism in the Holy Spirit isn’t for you? It’s a promise of God for you – choose wisely. Prepare yourselves for the 40-Day Fast of Jesus coming up in a week. It’s the perfect time to finally find His Spirit and find your cure.
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