But the Spirit of God
April 23, 2012 (Monday)
You and I are not slaves to fear, according to the Apostle Paul: “..you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children” (Romans 8:15 NLT). We have the power to become courageous Christians.
The courageous Christian says, “I can!” Satan is delighted when we succumb to fear. Jesus shared a parable with us about a man who failed in his duty because he was afraid (Matthew 25). The spirit of God transforms us because he gives us power–the power promised by Jesus (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit is the source of our spiritual power which enables us to have faith, endure trials, overcome temptation and serve the Lord.
The courageous Christian says, “I must!” When faced with situations in which we feel powerless, let us refuse to listen to the spirit of fear which says, “I dare not.” The Holy Spirit inspires love within our hearts and we say, “I must help.” Jesus was true to his mission and did what was necessary to save us, paying a tremendous price in order to do so. His prayer before the crucifixion was, “Not my will, but thine, be done.” Following the example of Jesus, we, too, can say, “I must!”
The courageous Christian says, “I will!” We surrender our will to the will of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, conquering the spirit of fear. Satan wants us to say, “I won’t!” God wants us to look at life from his point of view, to go into the garden with Jesus and pray, “Not my will, but thine, be done.”
“.. the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7 NIV).