POWER, LOVE, & SOUND MIND

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

--2 Timothy 1:7

Ummm…sooo…what just happened to 2021? I know that we’re not quite at the end of the year yet, but how did we get this far in the year this fast already? I’m looking for the ‘pause’ or ‘slow down’ buttons, but I think I’m pressing ‘fast-forward’ by accident. And I don’t think I’m the only one ☹ The fact that this year is about to come to a close soon, the pandemic is still lingering on, and there are so many unfinished (or not-yet-started) plans can have us in a mode of fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of being left out, and just plain old fear itself can keep us paralyzed. But thank God for His remedy for fear! In His Word, the Lord lets us know that He has not given us a spirit of fear. Instead, He has given us power, love, and a sound mind. Power For those of us who don’t have the ability to telepathically change the channel to our tv, we use a remote. This device is much smaller than the tv, but it controls everything that the tv does…for the most part. But there’s something that is even smaller than the remote that keeps it working. Batteries. The batteries give the remote the power it needs to operate. So, what does this have to do with combating fear? Try getting ready to watch your favorite holiday show…say A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving...that only comes on once a year, and when you sit to watch the remote won’t do a thing. Shear panic moment for sure!!!

Okay, maybe not the worst situation ever, but not exhibiting our God-given power against fears that come our way can put us in state of uselessness just like that remote. We’re no good to God’s kingdom if we don’t use the power that has been made available to us and we have been created to carry. When the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz found out all he needed was a little courage, that changed the whole trajectory to his fearful state of being. He was already the king of the jungle, so the power was already in him. But his fears kept him from living out his life in the way that it was intended.

Just having the power does nothing. Being plugged in or connected to the right source makes all the difference. When we connect to the best power-source ever—Our Heavenly Father—our fears can dispel from our presence just as quickly as they came. And here’s the best part: “The same power that raised Christ from the dead is living in you.” (Romans 8:11). Thankfully, God has given us more than just power to overcome our fears. He has also given us love. Love “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear…” (1 John 4:18). When it’s dark in a room or outside, the desire for light is normal…especially when you’re afraid. Nighttime can be a scary time for little ones, or anyone else for that matter. Unidentifiable sights and sounds without adequate light to reflect their source can promote a sense of insecurity. But when the sun rises and announces a new day or even the smallest glimmer of light shines, this can bring clarity to all that darkness hides.

Love can be like a flashlight. Our perspective of what we see still can be wrong even when the light shines from it, but the steady beam will still reveal the truth—whether good or bad. Like the light, love uncovers the good, bad, and the ugly. In other words, Jesus, who is the epitome of love, doesn’t promise that our lives will be without hardships and turmoil. Instead, He makes it very plain to us that we will have to endure trouble in this world, but He also provides blessings along the way. Also, the Lord doesn’t show us everything. He only shows us what we need to know. The same with a flashlight. The illumination from it only shines in the area that this tool is directed.

And before you think that we’ve skipped off the yellow brick road, let’s not forget the Tin Man. He was created without a heart, and he desperately wanted one. Even though his body didn’t contain this beating organ, this didn’t keep him from showing his love throughout this time in the movie. There were frightening situations that he and his comrades had to face, but his desire for a heart and to get Dorothy home helped him to push past those situations. And nope...we’re not done yet. There’s yet another weapon against fear, and it’s a sound mind. Sound Mind When we can think correctly, we can view different situations that come our way in the correct way. When your minds are muddled with fear, we can react in ways that can cause confusion and turmoil. In other words, we can become reactive instead of proactive, and the results can be completely dissimilar depending on the state of our mind. I know that making a rash decision can be necessary at times but allowing our fears to navigate our thinking all the time can keep us from many great things. Some fears are healthy and understandable while other fears are not. The Scarecrow was under the impression that he didn’t have a brain, but he did not let that keep him from getting to the Emerald City. And if you notice throughout the movie, he was able to use wisdom to get through many fearful occurrences that came along the way.

Isaiah 26:3 says, “You [God] will keep him (or her) in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he (or she) trusts in You.” As much as our minds can do, they are still fragile and can only handle so much. So, we need a form of protection for our mental stability. Think about it like this. You’re mailing off a beautiful vase to your dear old grandmother, and you want to be sure that it makes it to her unshattered. Since you know that the post office and mail carriers can only do so much to protect this vase, you wouldn’t just toss it in a box and pray for the best.

Because there’s a fear that it will be broken, you would take something like bubble wrap, among other things, to be sure that this vase has a fair chance of getting to its destination intact. And since you don’t know what all this vase will have to go through to get to granny (rough terrain, squished between other boxes, tossed around, etc.), you’ll use protective measures before sending it on its merry way. The bubble wrap won’t keep the vase from going through an unpredictable mailing route. It just helps to safeguard the vase as much as possible through the traveling experience. I’m sure you get where I’m going with this. In life, we will go through rough and unpredictable times. But if our minds are focused on God, He will allow His peace to give us the sound mind that we’ll need to face the uncertainties of this world.

Don’t fool yourself. You can’t handle your fears alone, and God knows that. The next time fear meets you in a dark alley…or on a yellow brick road, don’t fret! Just let your fellow companions Power, Love, and Sound Mind take over in the fight. Fear may not go away without a few punches, so you may have to call on that trio over and over again. But remember this: We are more than conquerors! Now, if I can only conquer keeping up with my remote, I will a happy camper…. While we are thanking God for our defense team against fear, let’s not forget to also thank Him for the many wonderful blessings that He has given us all the way up until this point. I hope that each of my Lemonaders enjoy this Thanksgiving holiday. Eat, relax, and be thankful. Also, tomorrow is my birthday, so I'm extra thankful for that 🥳🥳🥳