Answer Your Timidity

God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7

Daily Devotion – October 21, 2017

Devotion based on 2 Timothy 1:7

See series: Devotions

Let’s start with a moment of candor. Not too many years ago, you and I could get away with living our Christian lives without taking much flak for it. Oh, sure, we could cite cases in which a secular society was attacking our faith, but for the most part we could go about our business as Christians without a lot of fuss and bother.

Let’s acknowledge what’s happened—those days are gone. The reality is that if we are actively working to follow the Lord’s will, and if we are at all open about our Christian faith, we will receive mockery and resentment and hostility from others.

We need a moment of candor about one other thing. We need to confess to our God and to each other that, more often than not, you and I have responded to our anti-Christian culture with plain, ugly, old timidity. We have remained silent when we should have spoken. We have chuckled nervously when we should have remained silent. We have cowered in embarrassment when we should have been standing up for the only Savior this world is ever going to have.

But here’s the good news. Jesus Christ came to this earth for our sins of timidity as well. On our behalf he lived a life of perfect courage. In our place he died for our every failure—every episode in which you and I have given in to fear.

Repent, therefore. Repent of timidity, both you and I. Bask again in the refreshing forgiveness we possess in the Son of God. And as we do, seize the moment to be brave in the days to come. Demonstrate the Christian courage that the Holy Spirit has placed within us. Shine the light that we have in Jesus Christ. For the world needs the gospel now!

Prayer:
Holy Spirit, in a world that is hostile to the Christian faith, give me courage. Give me strength. Empower me by your gospel to let shine the light of my faith in Jesus my Savior. Amen.

This devotion was selected from the Daily Devotion archive.

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