FEAR AND IT’S CONSEQUENCES
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.. (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT)
Fear is present in all human beings. It is a natural emotion in our carnal nature.
There is a good fear and there is a bad one.
Good fear keeps us away from the dangers and problems. For example, fear of God makes me behave well. The fear of fire helps me not to put my hand on a hot iron because I know it would burn me or prevent me from entering a crater of a fiery volcano.
But there is another bad fear, destructive fear. That doesn’t come from God
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT)
There are several things that happen when we don’t know how to handle fear:
1. Fear paralyzes.
Opportunities are lost in life.
Some don’t dare to open their business out of fear of losing some money. Others don’t get married out of fear that they will have the same outcome as their parents. They don’t have children because they fear not being good parents, etc.
2. Fear makes you conflicted.
For example, the fear of being rejected makes you rude and makes you take on the appearance of being tough. Have you heard the saying “if there are going to be punches, make sure you hit first”? Fear makes you defensive and aggressive. Fear says: “hit before they hit you”, “shoot before they shoot you”, “kill before they kill you”.
3. Fear makes you run away.
For example, if I am afraid of someone getting to know me for who I am, then I will isolate myself from others and be anti-social.
The fear of confronting a difficult situation causes many to flee from relationships. For example, marriages prefer divorce rather than being vulnerable and recognizing their wounds, asking for forgiveness, and cultivating relationships.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.. (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT)
Think about it:
What kind of fear is there in your life? Of the bad or the good?
What good opportunities have you lost because of fear?
What problems have you had in your home due to the fear of confronting a difficult situation?
