Overcoming Timidity

What are you afraid of? People are afraid of many different things.

Common phobias

Acrophobia-Fear of heights

Astraphobia- Fear of thunder/lightning

Aerophobia- Fear of flying

Hemophobia-Fear of blood

Nyctophobia – The fear of darkness

Gamophobia – The fear of commitment

Thanatophobia – The fear of death

Glossophobia – The fear of public speaking

Uncommon

Alektorophobia – The fear of chickens.

Philophobia – The fear of love

Pogonophobia – The fear of beards

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia – The fear of long words.

Fear can come in many different forms. The word fear in verse 7 is the same word that means coward. It is similar to Revelation 20:8 “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Fear can be paralyzing. A tiger’s roar has the ability to paralyze its prey in fear. We all know that fear hurts us living for God. Yet many of us can live in fear. The apostle Paul is in prison. He is writing to his protege Timothy, who is the pastor of the church of Ephesus, who seems to be someone who struggled with timidity. That might have to do with the fact he is younger for being a pastor, or maybe he has a more timid disposition. Verse 8 indicates that Timothy have been ashamed, since Paul is prison. Also v. 4 mentions Timothy’s tears. So Paul is in prison and Timothy is ashamed and sad, that his mentor is in jail and is timid about living for Christ. Paul is writing to Timothy right before he died, as this was the last written of Paul’s epistles. He writes this very personal letter, to encourage Timothy to be faithful to the call of God in his life despite trials and obstacles. He first brings Timothy’s legacy of having godly women in his life. And Paul is saying I know your mother and grandmother had this unfeigned faith, and Timothy I know it is in you. So he tells Timothy to stir up the gift of God that is in him, and then he says this familiar verse “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” This familiar verse can become cliche sometimes. Why is it familiar? Because many Christians struggle with being fearful. The most oft-repeated command in Scripture is “Fear not”. You as Christians need to overcome your fear so you can serve God.

How can you overcome being fearful of serving God?

Use your gift

The words stir up has to do with rekindling a flame

Paul is telling Timothy not to let his gift lie dormant

1 Timothy 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

When I was in high school, I went to a vocational school my junior-senior years for Sports Rehabilitation and Therapy. My main focus back then was to train athletes. So my senior year I did an internship/externship at a facility that helps athletes get faster and stronger. So I was working out with the trainers and we did alot of Olympic lifts. So I was lifting alot and I got fairly strong. Now a couple years after I got back lifting weights after I left that place, I realized doing it might not be for me. I went back lifting, I was weaker in some of the lifts. Why because I did not use my muscles in that way for over a couple years. When we do not use our gift, it is not as strong as it should be.

God gives the gift, The gift is in us, it is not like we do not have the ability. We were given the gift from God to serve Him in a unique way to help His church.

What gift do you have?

Romans 12:6-8 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

Example of gifts

Ruling-administration

Teaching-teaching God’s word

Prophecy-preach

Serving-helps, serving others

Exhortation-encouragement

Mercy-able to help others through trial

Giving-ability and desire to give to God’s work

Some people think oh well, I’m not a pastor or I can’t teach, or preach or do this or that, but we need all of those gifts

1 Corinthians 12:14-22 “For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary:”

When Christians use their gifts, the church body functions well, if they are being used, the church is hindered.

Ephesians 4:11-16 “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”

A body that does not have part of it working, is not the body going to be not functioning as a whole, so if Christians are going to

Are you using your gift? Whatever gift you have, use it!

Understand the Spiritual Resources

Paul told Timothy “For God has not given us a Spirit of fear”

Meaning that the gift does not come with fear, but instead power, love and sound mind which are not the gift but what the gift comes with

If you are fearful to serve God, that does not come from God

I believe that it is in reference to the Holy Spirit, due to power, love and sound mind come from the Holy Spirit.

When we understand what the Spirit gives us, we can overcome our fear

What does the Spirit give us

Power

Jesus raised from the dead through the power of God

Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

When Jesus sent the disciples out He gave them power

Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

When the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples, there was power that was on the disciples

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

There is power, when we serve God

When we are witnessing, there is power in us because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. When we are serving in His strength, there is power

Love

God has called us to love

1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Power makes sense why not fear, but love does not necessarily at first

However fear cannot stand against love

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

When you love something or someone, you will not think about self-preservation.

John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

How many of you watch nature videos? I love watching videos about animals. I find them interesting. It is also interesting to see animals and humans interact. I’ve seen videos of I saw this video of a guy fighting a kangaroo. Now one kick from a kangaroo could disembowel a human. Kangaroos fight each other all the time. They are very strong animals. Why would the guy try to fight a kangaroo? The kangaroo had his dog. I’ve also seen videos of people fighting bears, and coyotes to protect their dogs. They love their dogs and they will fight animals to protect them.

When we love God, we will not be afraid to live for Him. We will love people and want the best for them, we will not be afraid to lay down our life or confront them.

It is the Lord who allows us to truly love

1 Thessalonians 3:12 “And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:”

How is your love for others?

Sound Mind

Sound mind means discipline and self control

One of the words that makes up this word is used to mean temperate and self controlled in Paul’s other pastoral epistles

A sound mind is one that does not let fear dictate based upon the emotions but rather based upon wisdom

Today the driving force is fear, that is all the headlines are, the government wants you to fear, companies want you to fear missing out if you don't buy their products even certain pastors try to get people to fear

When we are filled with the Spirit we will not be thinking irrationally based upon fear, but rather based upon truth

What do you think on?

You make choices to love, and to have a sound mind, and when you follow in obedience, that is when you are yielded to the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion-when one uses their gift, in the spirit of God, then they do not need to be ashamed of serving God