FACING DOWN OUR FEARS: THE ULTIMATE FEAR
Scripture: 2 Timothy 1: 1-12
Most of us want to succeed in life. We often envision great dreams of success and happiness. However, before long fear interrupts those dreams and expectations. It can take many forms. The fear that we dread the most is sometimes referred to "The Big F." For some people it is the ultimate fear. John F. Kennedy once said, "Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan; no one wants to claim it."
The fear of failure can be a paralyzing force in our lives. We can't stand the thought of being laughed or ridiculed if should fail so, we don't risk anything. It is one of Satan's powerful weapons. He places fear as a false truth into our minds. In this case it is the belief that we will fail. Solomon said, "For as he thinketh in his heart so is he." We are the products of our thoughts. This is why Paul exhorted us to think the right thoughts.
(Phil 4: 8)Fear can make us stagnant in their lifestyles, because we are not willing to venture out of our safe routines. Life is a combination of success and failure. If we don't take a risk and attempt new challenges, there may be failure, yet "the glory is not in never failing, but rising every time you fail."
I believe our church is on the verge of some great and wonderful new endeavours. However, fear can keep us from seeing the challenge and moving ahead with what God has given us. Hudson Taylor, founder of the China Inland Mission said, "Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God." We have become comfortable with our past. Sometimes I think that God wants to shake things up so we can see the challenge of the future. Let us accept the challenge. Let us be strong in faith giving glory to God.
When Paul wrote to Timothy, he wanted to check Timothy's fearfulness and timidity. So he said, "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:6,7)
The word timidity (Fear) means cowardice or terror that overtakes the fearful in extreme difficulty. This can happen to any of us. Perhaps it has to you. Even the greatest people we know have experienced it.
During World War II, a military governor met with General George Patton in Sicily. When he praised Patton highly for his courage and bravery, the general replied, "Sir, I am not a brave man -- the truth is, I am an utter Craven (wimps) coward. I have never been within the sound of gunshot or in sight of battle in my whole life that I wasn't so scared that I had sweat in the palms of my hands." Years later, when Patton's autobiography was published, it contained this significant statement by the general: "I learned very early in my life never to take counsel of my fears."
(Rom 8:15; 15)I. God has Given Us The Spirit of Power when we are fragile. POWER: This word means miraculous power, ability, abundance, might, strength. Stress and hardship overwhelmed Timothy.
(2 Tim. 1:4) However, Paul didn't allow Timothy to indulge in self-pity or fear. He deliberately put Timothy under a positive tension to go on serving the Lord. Paul charged him, Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. (2 Tim. 4:1-3)Paul laid hands on Timothy at his ordination. At the same time a new power came to rest on him. It was the power of the Holy Spirit giving him strength and ability in the midst of hardships. It was the same power that The Lord gave to the believers at Pentecost.
(Acts 1:8) This power made Peter and John strong when the rulers commanded them not to speak any more in the name of Jesus. The threats of the enemy didn't make them afraid. Instead they went back to the church and prayed with the believers for boldness. (Acts 4:29-31)In like manner, Paul told Timothy to fan this gift and power into a flame. I want you to see that the gift of power was already in Timothy's possession. It was already his by faith. All he needed to do was to fan it into a flame. Even now, many Christians spend a great deal of time and effort vainly looking for blessings already available to them. We pray for God's light, although He has already supplied light in abundance through His Word. Our need is to follow the light we already have. We pray for strength, although His Word tells us we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us
(Phil. 4:13). We pray for more love, although Paul says that God's own love is already poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5). We pray for more grace, although the Lord says the grace He has already given is sufficient (2 Cor. 12:9). We pray for peace, although the Lord has given us His own peace, "which surpasses all comprehension" (Phil. 4:7). We pray like God has given us nothing and we think it is scarcely available or is reluctantly shared by God. I believe this is where many of us fall short in the Christian life. I know that Timothy felt fragile and vulnerable. However, it is useful to remember that the Devil has no more power over us than the thought he can inject into our minds.Paul The Apostle assured us that God's grace was sufficient.
(2 Cor. 12:9) Satan works to convince us of our weakness. However, Paul reminds us that our power is made perfect in weakness. When I am weak then I am strong. What does this mean? I believe God can be no bigger to you than you confess Him to be. You can fail in a dozen different lines of activity and then succeed brilliantly in a way you never dreamed possible. You have yet to discover your potential in the Lord. So, don't let the big FAILURE overtake you. (Heb. 4:16: 1 Chron. 28:20) God has given to us the Spirit of Power when we feel fragile.II. The Spirit of Love when we feel faint. Jesus said, "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love."
(John 15:9,10) When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water, they were terrified. "It's a ghost, they said, and cried out in fear. Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." (Matt 14:26)God's love empowers us to risk great goals for God. Our love for God will lead us to be strong and to attempt great things for Him and expect great things from Him. The Lord said to Daniel, "The people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits."
(Dan. 11:32: Isa. 40: 29-31) Not only has God given us the Spirit of Power when we feel fragile and the Spirit of Love when we are faint but He has also given us:III. The Spirit of self-discipline when we Falter. Timothy needed to respond to false teachers and their errors. Timothy needed self-discipline or self-control and a sound mind to expose them lest he performs the part of a victim. Only a sound mind will bolster us when we fear failure, stumble or reel from the attacks of the enemy. "If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand."
(Psalm 37:23,24)I read an interesting little story about Paderewski, the great Polish pianist. It seems a mother took her young son, eight or nine years old, to a concert by Paderewski because she thought the child had some musical talent and might benefit from hearing a genius play. They sat close to the stage, where the curtain was up, revealing the grand piano. Paderewski was in the wings; it wasn't quite time to begin the concert. The mother turned to speak to an acquaintance behind her. As she did, the little boy wriggled out of his seat, ran up the steps to the stage, sat down and began to play "Chopsticks" with all his might. The mother was appalled. The audience gasped as Paderewski himself walked onto the stage. Instead of being angry the maestro smiled, sat down on the piano bench with the little boy, whispered to him to continue and then, putting both arms around the little figure began to improvise a soft but brilliant accompaniment to the childlike music. He kept it until the audience was charmed and fascinated, bursting into applause.
I like to think that perhaps when we finally come into God's presence and try to explain our lives with all the faults and flaws and failures; and I play my childish, tune that He will smile and put His loving arms around us. He will turn our faltering notes into a triumphant song of redemption and fulfilment.
Christ upholds us by the word of His power. We never need to fear failure. He will make music out of all our human attempts to serve Him.
Many have refused to succumb to the fear of failure. One such story is about a child who was born into to a poor Jewish merchant in 1879. As a little boy, he was somewhat shy and withdrawn. His parents were concerned about him because he was slow in learning, and he didn't speak until he was four years of age. At age 16 he failed his entrance exams at the Polytechnicum in Zurich, Switzerland. He tried again a year later and succeeded. Later he received a doctorate from the University of Zurich, but he could only get a job as an obscure patent examiner. While this young man had many failures at the beginning, his persistence paid off. He formulated the theory of relativity in physics and became one of the greatest geniuses who ever lived. He never let early failures defeat him. His name, Albert Einstein.
Remember, what God says about failure. I'll never leave you of forsake you. God is bigger than our failures. He will carry us through. We need to remember that God has given us spirit of power when we feel fragile, The spirit of love when we feel faint, and a sound mind when we falter.
What can we do to overcome the fear of failure? One thing we can do is to dare to pull off an outrageously courageous act. For Peter, stepping out of the boat and walking on water to Jesus was outrageously courageous. For you it might be taking a chance with some hidden talent and using it for the Lord. It could mean doing an act of kindness for someone who is an enemy. I don't know what it might be. This week give it a try. Don't allow the fear of failure to keep you from discovering a new way to bring glory to the Lord. We can overcome the ultimate fear if we will access His power, his love and a sound mind. See
Joshua 1:6,7