Fear in disguise

“Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. 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

Fear–it doesn’t always come marching into our lives wearing a T-shirt labeled “fear.” Sometimes fear takes on disguises and appears as a welcome guest. Yet beware: disguised or not, fear enslaves wherever it goes.

I recently found this intruder taking on the noble-sounding disguise of wanting to get it right. I wanted to say the proper thing. I didn’t want it to be taken wrong or misunderstood. That all sounded noble, yet it was the voice of fear, not the Lord.

Deep down, I was afraid I would mess up, say the wrong thing, or cause someone else to stumble. Those fears–disguised as they were–were enslaving me, keeping me from speaking and acting in God’s freedom and truth.

God has not given us a spirit of fear. He’s called us to “stir up” the gifts He’s given us–to serve Him wholeheartedly, without fearing our mistakes, other’s opinions, or anything else. It’s His love–not fear–that we want to govern each action.

If you find fear trying to sneak its way into your heart, yank its mask off with the truth. Remind yourself of God’s unconditional love–that He is leading and guiding you and is over even your mistakes. Focus on His greatness. Recognize His power over every circumstance. And walk forward in His love–trusting Him and obeying His call.

– christian perspective