In preparing this post I found a quote I so relate to, “Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past and fear of the future.” (Fulton Oursler). I find this metaphor of fear being a thief, to be very accurate. Personally, I have pretty well put to death the ‘first thief'--I spend little time looking back, second guessing myself or living with regret. As far as the ‘second thief’ (‘fear of the future’) goes, this thief still whispers to me and, loudly. I hear the ‘thief of my future’ because I have trust issues from time to time. I have trust issues because I have been burned. I have learned that believing, investing and risking is costly. In short, loving someone or believing in something can result in great pain. Yet, I have also learned that not loving, trusting or risking will cost me even more. The bible says, "God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice, or cringing or fawning-- God has given us a spirit of power and of love [along with] a calm and well-balanced mind [as well as] discipline and self-control (2Tim. 1:7)
Paul tells us that [an ungodly] fear is a negative spirit. Paul is not talking about a fear that serves a productive purpose. To overcome the 'spirit of fear' that Paul is referencing will involve a calm and well balanced mind and, self control. Is it any wonder that Paul says, ‘take every thought captive’? Is it any wonder Jesus warns of thieves that will come to "steal, and to kill, and to destroy" (John 10:10). The assignment from the spirit of fear is to infiltrate and immobilize us from Kingdom activity. To close, I remind you that many of our most troublesome thieves, “are not of flesh-and-blood…” but rather, thieves on assignment from an “unseen world”(Eph. 6:12) and that, some of the things that we seem to be most afraid of, things we believe to be at striking distance, may be only figments of our ridiculous imaginations.
Paul tells us that [an ungodly] fear is a negative spirit. Paul is not talking about a fear that serves a productive purpose. To overcome the 'spirit of fear' that Paul is referencing will involve a calm and well balanced mind and, self control. Is it any wonder that Paul says, ‘take every thought captive’? Is it any wonder Jesus warns of thieves that will come to "steal, and to kill, and to destroy" (John 10:10). The assignment from the spirit of fear is to infiltrate and immobilize us from Kingdom activity. To close, I remind you that many of our most troublesome thieves, “are not of flesh-and-blood…” but rather, thieves on assignment from an “unseen world”(Eph. 6:12) and that, some of the things that we seem to be most afraid of, things we believe to be at striking distance, may be only figments of our ridiculous imaginations.
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