Hang on to your hair-nets, church ladies, because Kirk Franklin is in the house today. Do yourself a favor and listen to “Declaration” on his myspace page…it is the 4th song down on the playlist. It reminded me of one of my favorite verses, 2 Timothy 1:7.
The song’s Declaration goes right along with the words of this scripture:
You see, nothing robs us of victory like fear does. Fear is like a cancer that eats away at your core of faith and destroys it from the inside.
I know all about fear. When I was little, I was afraid of the dark. I was afraid of things under the bed, the boogie-man, the anti-Christ, the end times, Satan and persecution. Later, I was afraid I would never get married, and never have children (due to the imminent end of the world, of course). Then when I did get married and had children, I thought they would be taken from me in some horrible way. Not to mention fear of failure, fear of success, fear of ruining my kids, fear of Y2K (remember that?), fear of financial ruin, fear of disappointment, fear of being out of the job market, fear of ……well, you get the picture.
But this scripture reminds me that God has not given me the spirit of fear. You see, many of my fears stem from what I choose to focus on. It’s funny how when I focus on a great big God, my fears seem to disappear. Because He is bigger than anything I will ever face. He will always be with me. Just like He is with you. Faith dispels fear.
Oh, and look at this! It says that He gives us the spirit of power! POWAH! When I am facing something that seems bigger than what I can handle, I need to remember that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is AT WORK IN ME! The same God who made the universe is the One who empowers me to live and breathe and do His will. He even gives me the power to face the daily tasks that seem to drain my energy. You know, the dishes, the laundry, the bills. Amazing.
Which brings us to the next point…the spirit of love. Maybe you are afraid to love fully, completely and with abandon. There is a lot of risk involved in THAT kind of love. Husbands and children can disappoint you. Friends can let you down. We want to retreat into our shells and stay protected from the hurts that go along with loving. But when we walk in the spirit of love, we are able to accept, forgive and love in a way that is beyond our own understanding.
I’m so glad God threw “Sound Mind” in there because that’s a promise I’m standing on. Ya’ll know that sometimes I struggle to string two coherent thoughts together….that’s what 24 years of child-rearing will do for you – ha! Not only that, but my mind is where battles take place. Skirmishes between thoughts of fear and failure versus faith and victory happen there every day. But when I stop and remember that God has given me a sound mind, the ability to have self-control and the victory over Satan’s attacks, the battles come to an end.
What are you afraid of? Are you afraid that if you stay home to be with your children that you’ll never get another good job? Or maybe you’re afraid that if you take a job you really need, your children will be ruined. Maybe you’ve been disappointed by your husband and are afraid to trust him again. Maybe you are afraid of being alone, or getting sick, or not having enough money to pay your bills. Maybe you feel that God has let you down and you are afraid that He won’t take care of you.
Today, I want you to NAME YOUR FEAR. Tell your fear, This. Is. It. You can’t mess with my mind anymore. I’m not afraid anymore. I’m going to believe in a Mighty God. I’m going to trust in a Faithful Friend. I’m going to stand up and walk in the spirit of power, and love and sound mind!
Like the song says, This is your day, baby!
Rachel Anne
