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It’s time to write your own chapter

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2 Timothy 1:6-7 — “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Every one of us has our own chapter to write — a chapter that defines our life, its meaning and purpose, a chapter that provide us with clarity of vision, direction and strategy. What keeps us from writing our own chapter? What blocks our blessings? What hinders our hopes? What stagnates our successes? What cripples our creativity?

I would contend that fear is the number one disabler of our destinies. Fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or a threat. There are times when fear is a vital response to physical and emotional danger. If we didn’t feel fear, we couldn’t protect ourselves from legitimate threats. Fear can also be reverence, respect and awe, as in the fear of God.

But often we fear situations that are far from life-or-death and thus hang back for no good reason. Les Brown notes: “Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.” Coach Timeko Whitaker admonishes us to, “Never own fear. Move forward in spite of your fears.” And Nelson Mandela enlightens us to the fact that, “Courage is not the absence of fear but triumph over it.”

The Apostle Paul understood Timothy needed the exhortation “to stir up the gift of God in him.” Timothy was timid by nature, so like a good coach, mentor and spiritual father, Paul reminds Timothy he has not been given “the spirit of fear.” The spirit God gives us is not one of timidity, cowardice or weakness. The spirit God gives us is one of power and fearlessness. So, how do we break the spirit of fear? How do we write our own chapter?

First, we must face our fears. Greta Adams often says, “The thing you fear most will keep coming back to you until you face it.” Paul therefore reminds Timothy of what he has been taught by his mother, grandmother and the Spirit of the Lord he received when Paul laid hands upon him. This was to persuade Timothy to think again or recall the lessons he learned about the faith. We, too, must face our fears and recall those times in our lives when our faith became the avenue for overcoming our fears.

Secondly, we must fight our fears. Exercising our faith is critical, but we must also fight our fear by “stirring up the gifts” present in us. Maybe we love to speak but have a fear of standing in front of people. Overcome that fear by standing and speaking! Stir up the gift. Fight the urge to be fearful by actually doing what causes us fear.

Finally, we must forget our fears. The spirit of fear is a spirit of cowardice or lack of courage. It comes from an unstable mind. Paul reminds Timothy God has given him a “sound mind,” which means a mind full of prudent advice. Activating the power of the mind is a sure way of forgetting our fears.

Stop letting fear rule your life. Take complete control of your life by taking control of your fears. It’s time to write your own chapter.

Dr. Preston T. Adams III is senior pastor at Amazing Grace Christian Church in Indianapolis. Contact Pastor Adams via email at docpta3@comemeetgrace.org or via Twitter @DrPrestonTAdams. For more information, visit comemeetgrace.org.

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