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"...but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." (1 Timothy 4:12 NIV)
Sienna, my Yorkshire Terrier, weighing in at just over five pounds, is the smallest of my seven dogs. Being tiny however has never stopped her from keeping up with the pack on woodland trails, snowy paths or anywhere else we might decide to go. She is also a great watch dog and her bark, rather than being drowned out by the bigger dogs, rises above theirs to be heard loud and clear. She may be the smallest but she is most certainly not the least for she shows no timidity.
Sienna’s lack of timidity, allows her to rise above her size to be a valuable and vital part of the pack even though she is the smallest. Likewise, God’s spirit within us has the ability to empower each of us, no matter who we are or what our circumstances may be, to be a vital and valuable asset to his kingdom, by means of living transformed lives which emulate the spirit of Christ.
The apostle Paul, when he wrote to his young protégé Timothy, reminded him: "Command and teach these things. Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline ( 1 Timothy 4:11-12 NIV; See also 2 Timothy 1:6a,7).
The gift of God, which Paul speaks of, is the Holy Spirit, who indwells every believer in Christ (See Hebrews 11:6; Romans 14:22, 23). The same Holy Spirit who empowered Jesus’ frightened disciples, as they were in hiding, to overcome the spirit of timidity and to stand up with courage and confidence on the day of Pentecost and proclaim the truth about Christ’s death and resurrection, in such a way that about three thousand souls came to salvation that day.
Do you suffer from timidity? Is a lack of courage and confidence something you struggle with in your life? I know it has often been a struggle for me. By fanning into flame, the gift of God’s Spirit within me however, by means of prayer, praise and claiming the truth of God’s promises, by faith, my struggles have been and are being turned into victory. This does not mean that my fear was or is automatically squelched, for it wasn’t and some days it still isn’t. Rather, it means that God’s power within, enabled and continues to enable me to rise above my timidity to be an overcomer in Christ, to have the confidence and courage to act amidst my fears, one day at a time.
Sienna, though the smallest of dogs is not timid, and neither do we need to be, as we fan into flame the gift of God within us: the Holy Spirit who’s in the business of transforming timidity into confidence and courage.
Prayer: Lord God remind us today, to fan into flame the gift of your Holy Spirit within, that we may live a life of courage and confidence for You. In Christ’s name. Amen.
Lynne Phipps
Tawatinaw, Alberta, Canada
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