Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– 2 Tim 1:7
The Spirit of Power
God gives us His Spirit and the Spirit of God has power. We have a little power but nothing in comparison to the very power of God. The Spirit of God should help us overcome our timidity or shyness because if you think about it, our Father is the Creator of the universe and nothing is impossible for Him. Tap this power by praying for God to strengthen you and to enable you to overcome the tendency to be timid, particularly when it comes to sharing your faith with the lost.
The Spirit of Love
How powerful is the spirit of love in a Christian? The Apostle Peter writes that “love covers a multitude of sins” (1st Pet 4:8) and Solomon adds, “Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends” (Prov 17:9). This doesn’t mean we condone sin or overlook flagrant sins like sexual immorality but when we see a friend sin, we can speak with them privately, knowing that love covers sin or overlooks the faults of others. We need only look in the mirror to see why we too need the spirit of love and the forgiveness of others.
The Spirit of Self-Discipline
We were once dead as can be in our sins (Eph 2:1) but made alive in Christ and are a new creation in Christ (2nd Cor 5:17) but we still must make every effort to live a godly life. God won’t live it for us but he can live in us and help us to renew our minds (Rom 12:1-2), therefore it is incumbent upon us to “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Col 3:5). Paul warns that “if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Rom 8:13).
Conclusion
Indeed, “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” but we must ask if God is to strengthen us when we need it, to have a love that overlooks the faults of others and keeps it between friends, and to discipline ourselves and strive to live a life that is pleasing to God. We have the source of power that no others have and it’s God’s spirit of power, love, and of self-discipline.
