2 Timothy 1:7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.
Anxiety and stress can be quite the challenge to overcome. As a person with anxiety I can testify to the fact that telling an anxious person to stop worrying does no good. That’s like telling a skinny person to just gain weight or an overweight person to just lose weight. For some people it might be that easy but for most telling them what to do (or not to do) is pointless.
Lucky for us we have a God who understands our needs and meets them in His perfect way. In this passage Paul tells Timothy we have a Spirit that gives us power. We are filled with the Holy Spirit. It is that Spirit to which Paul refers. And it is the power of the Holy Spirit that allows us to overcome.
This does not mean that once we receive the Spirit we become immune to anxiety or fear. We are human and have human responses to things. What it does mean is that the Spirit within us will guide us and work in and through us, which helps us to endure and overcome. This should be liberating to anyone struggling with anxiety because it is a promise we can cling to and trust in. It is more than just encouraging. It is life changing. We have the power within us to set aside anxiety and feel hope, joy, and peace.
If you feel yourself drowning in fear and anxiety you need to embrace the power of the Holy Spirit and give those thoughts to God. Cast them upon Him (1 Peter 5:7), turn to Him in times of anxiety or fear (Psalms 34:4; Psalms 46:1-3), and trust Him to guide you ( Proverbs 3:5-6). You have the tools you need to overcome. You have the power within you. You just need to believe it and use it.
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