Do you Fear? Then pause and ask yourself, “where is this fear coming from?”
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 NLT
Any text without a context ain't no text so let's break it down CHECK DISC style.
CHECK yourself: First, got any unconfessed sin? Bring it into the light before proceeding.
Discover the Context: Paul is telling young Timothy about not fearing to tell others about the Lord.
“I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice.
And I know that same faith continues strong in you.
This is why I remind you to fan into flames
the spiritual gift God gave you
when I laid my hands on you.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity,
but of power, love, and self-discipline.
So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord.
And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News.” 2 Timothy 1:5-8 NLT
Identify Key Verbs: To fan into flames, do not be ashamed (2x), be ready to suffer.
Subject: What four commands does Paul tell Timothy about his faith and fear?
Complement: Paul tells Timothy to 1) fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave him, 2) to not be ashamed of telling others about their Lord and 3) of him, and 4) to be ready to suffer with him for the sake of the Gospel.
This passage is not about not fearing coronavirus, but there is certainly a relevant application for our current pandemic situation.
First, we should remember to fan into flames the spiritual gift God has given us. Everyone has been given a spiritual gift. We should not lose sight of that gift in the midst of the chaos. Notice how many people shift their attention from their gifts to the news or even insensitive memes. It’s almost everyone and anyone with a smartphone.
I mistakenly cancelled my cell phone service for the entire month of March when I was out of the country at the height of the worldwide scare. It was the proverbial “blessing in disguise.” The only news I knew was by hearing other people talk about it and the occasional “you gotta check this out” meme. It was either panic or tactless indifference.
Second, this is a prime opportunity to not be ashamed to tell others about our Lord and about those who have been spiritual influences in our lives. But not in a pushy way the “street preachers” are known for. This time of worldwide fear is an excellent time to role model grace, mercy, and peace in the midst of chaos. And then when the time comes, to ask honest questions about life and purpose. Honest and grace oriented questions such as, “what do you usually do with your fear?” or maybe even the classic, “where do you think you’d go if you died?” The point would be to remain attentive to fear and anxiety in order to be the light in the midst of the darkness. But we’ll have to do this electronically which adds another layer of complication. Pray for wisdom. Maybe practice social (media) distancing. I’ve been social media Free since the beginning of March. So freeing.
Lastly, we should always be ready to suffer for the sake of the gospel. This doesn’t mean self induced suffering, but suffering for being faithful to the gospel. If we faithfully preach the gospel we can expect to lose friends and gain enemies. That is a natural consequence in this fallen hypersensitive world.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9 ESV
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