Not Fear, But Freedom
2 Corinthians 3:17, Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
2 Timothy 1:6, 7, For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
As the Holy Spirit begins to work in a deeper way in you, the first calling that is placed on your life is the calling of surrender. We know that we must surrender our lives to Jesus in order to be saved, but we often miss that we must continue to surrender our lives to the Holy Spirit. The fear of surrender pushes us inward instead of upward. In our spiritual lives, fear causes us to focus on ourselves (which results in timidity) instead of putting our focus on Jesus (which results in freedom).
So, when Paul tells Timothy to “fan into flame the gift of God,” I hear: Let go of your fear, and put your full attention on Jesus.
The price is too steep to miss out because of fear. He will pour out His Spirit on me if I will let go of my fear, and put my attention on Him.
So often, in the Bible, when God would call someone to His purpose for them, He would remind them of this truth. Stepping out is scary, but He calls out: Do not be afraid. Focus on Me. You can do more through the power of My Spirit than you think you can.
To Joshua, the Lord spoke: Do not be afraid, Be strong, Be courageous, I will be with you just as I was with Moses before you. As you serve the Lord by ministering to others – in the church, at home or work – sometimes it feels like you’re walking into a battle. But He’s saying to you, Let go of your fear, put your attention on Me, and My Spirit will empower you to accomplish all I have called you to do.
To Mary, the Lord spoke: Do not be afraid. For this child is God With Us. As the Lord begins to birth a desire in you for an outpouring of His Spirit in your life, He declares to you – Do not be afraid. Of what people will think. Of what you’ll look like. Of where I’ll take you. Put your attention on Me, and My Spirit will bring rivers of living water into your life!
To Peter, in the boat, Jesus declared: Do not be afraid. Step out on the water and come to Me. God is preparing you for an outpouring. But He declares that you must step out in order to for His Spirit to be poured out.
Let go of your fear, and put your attention on Jesus.
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