“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7).

There is healthy fear and unhealthy fear. I remember one day standing on the edge of a cliff hundreds of feet high and feeling the wind blowing hard around me. A wave of fear swept over me and I stepped back away from the edge. This was healthy fear! The Bible speaks of fear many times as something good. For example, Proverbs 19:23 declares, “The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied.” Fearing God through reverence and worship is critical to our growth and blessing. However, we also need to be aware of the effects of unhealthy fear. Many people avoid seeking or encountering the Holy Spirit, as if he were some Halloween figure. Why is this? Some answers I have heard go like this: “The Holy Spirit may ask me to do something I don’t want to do,” or “I’m afraid of releasing control of myself to anyone or anything,” or “The Holy Spirit might embarrass me in front of my friends.” The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to his son in the faith, Timothy. From the letter we discern that Timothy struggled with timidity and fear. But, Paul encouraged Timothy by reminding him of what the Holy Spirit is about, and what the Spirit deposits into our spirit. He is not the author of unhealthy fear! The Spirit is the one who desires to fill us with the wonderful fruit of power, love, and self-control. Through the Holy Spirit, the power that controlled Jesus as He lived and rose triumphantly from the grave dwells in us! Don’t let “I was afraid” be the excuse you give to God for not letting Him give you all you need to live full and fruitful. Pray today (as I do) and say, “Lord, fill me with the Holy Spirit right now. Help me to depend on You and not to make any decisions outside of Your will. Use my life as a witness that Jesus is alive!” Don’t be afraid of the Holy Spirit. He knows what is best for you…and he knows what he is doing!

Pastor Mark Boucher