The Lord does not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power. Here’s a look at how the Holy Spirit empowers us to move past our fears.
I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 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 gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. (2 Timothy 1:5-7, ESV; emphasis mine)
Timidity.
Many of us have been taught (unintentionally) that timidity is a Christian virtue. When we’re kids, timidity is praised. The timid do not stir up trouble, do not argue, and do not disobey authority.
In other words, timidity is seen as a marking of a “model student” at school.
And, in many ways, timidity is seen as a marking of a “model child” in the community and the Church. The fearful children play it safe. They don’t get in trouble. Therefore, they must possess some great moral virtue that others are not blessed with.
But in 2 Timothy 1, we read that God does not give us a spirit of fear (or timidity). Just a few days ago, I wrote a post on the fact that meekness is not weakness. In much the same way as we confuse “meek” for “weak and harmless,” we also confuse Godly behavior for “timid and afraid.”
To put it bluntly, a large portion of Christian culture has – for the better part of a century – taught (indirectly) that timidity is an excellent quality for a Christian to possess. Much of this teaching has been done unintentionally, but still, it has been taught.
And this teaching is wrong.
Today, we’ll take a closer look at timidity (or the quality of being afraid), and the better things that God has in store for us.
What Does it Mean to have a Spirit of Timidity?
In 2 Timothy 1:7, the original Greek word for “fearful” or “timid” is this: δειλίας (or deilias).
If someone has the quality of deilias, they have a disposition marked by a consistent and pervasive fear of risk. In fact, the original connotation of this word was a sort of fear that prevented one from taking action or facing danger.
In other words, cowardice.
To be timid (in the sense of 2 Timothy 1:7) is to be a coward.
Let’s unpack this a bit further. What does it mean to be a coward?
In the chief sense of the word, cowardice refers to hiding when you should be confronting. It refers to shrinking back when you should be standing up. It means doing nothing when you should be doing something.
This is the spirit of “timidity” that the Apostle Paul writes about in his letter to Timothy.
“Timidity” is not equivalent to being reasonable, being humble, or being dutiful. These things are all excellent, and are to be praised. One can be all of these things and not be timid.
Timidity, rather, is the quality of being so afraid of risk and so afraid of danger that you stay put when you should be doing something.
When you don’t confront evil, evil will take over. When you fail to act, actions will be taken that harm you or others. When you aren’t bold and courageous, someone (or something) else will be – and that person or thing may be working against the will of God.
As Christians, we have not been given a spirit of timidity. The Holy Spirit is not afraid to act. God is not afraid of danger.
And neither should we be afraid.
The Antidote to Timidity
If we read further on in the passage, we find out what the antidote to timidity is: a spirit of power, love, and self-control.
The Holy Spirit – the part of God that takes up residence inside you – is a Spirit of power, love, and self-control. He is a Spirit of action and of love and of goodness. He vigorously and powerfully opposes evil.
He is not safe, but He is good.
This is the spirit that we should all strive to get in alignment with. It is the spirit that we should eagerly desire to live with.
But oftentimes, we ourselves get in the way.
We ignore the Holy Spirit, we push Him down, and we shut Him out. Many of us do this without even realizing it. The Holy Spirit gives us access to so much – so much power, boldness, strength, love, compassion, joy, bravery, and self-control – but many of us don’t even acknowledge Him regularly.
I know I don’t.
But He’s important. He enables us to do the work of God on this earth. Without the Spirit of God, we cannot build the Kingdom of God. If we do not actively rely on the Spirit of power, love, and self-control, we will not be effective laborers for our King.
And we will continue to possess our spirits of timidity, our fearful and safety-obsessed hearts, unless we turn to Him.
Rely on the Holy Spirit – Not the Spirit of Timidity
Today, if you are a child of the Living God, you have the Holy Spirit within you.
He’s there.
But will you rely upon Him? Will you bring your life and action into accordance with the “still, small voice” within you? Will you listen to Him when He convicts you of sin? Will you cast yourself upon Him for guidance and wisdom?
Or will you continue to abide within your own spirit – a spirit of timidity?
You see, the Holy Spirit is so powerful and so magnificent that He can take anyone – read: anyone – and use him for the great and mighty purposes of God.
He can take the weakest person you’ve ever met and use him to build the greatest ministry you’ve ever seen. He can take the most cowardly man on earth and allow him to stand before a hostile crowd and proclaim the Gospel. He can take the lowliest woman in the world and use her to bless the lives of millions.
The Spirit is not limited by us. That’s what Paul is getting at in 2 Timothy 1!
When we trust in our own selves – our own spirits, our own minds, our own strength – we will have a spirit of timidity. We will tend to love safety, love comfort, and refuse to leave our own little huts. We are limited.
And this is our default mode. Even seasoned, longtime Christians fall back into it.
But what about when we trust in the Holy Spirit? Well, we get access to an infinite supply of power and love and self-control. We are able to bless others and walk in the path that God would have us walk. We are no longer bound by our limitations and our sin.
We are enabled to work for Him.
Now, does this mean we become perfect, like some sort of spiritual Superman? Not at all. We will still battle doubts, fears, and imperfections. But in living a life surrendered to the Holy Spirit, we will find that God can accomplish a lot through us.
A lot more than we could ever do on our own.
Today, dear Believer, I invite you to cast yourself upon the Holy Spirit. Cast yourself upon His power and mercy, and flee from the spirit of timidity. God did not give us fear; He gave us a spirit of power, love, and self-control.
And He did it to empower us to build His Kingdom. He did it to glorify Himself.
Let’s obey Him and trust in His Spirit.
God bless.