Why Are You Timid..?
Eternity Online: John Edmiston (Editor)
(Mat 8:26 NKJV) But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of
little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and
there was a great calm.
(John 14:27 NKJV) "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you;
not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be
troubled, neither let it be afraid.
The Greek word for "fearful " here is "deilos" or timid - the
disciples were in-timid-ated by nature and the storm. It is a moral
fault to be "deilos" as Revelation points out: (Rev 21:8 NKJV) "But
the cowardly ("deilos"), unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually
immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in
the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second
death."
Being intimidated means we think that whatever is scaring us is so big
that God is not in control of it or His love cannot see us through it.
It is to chuck out God's promises in sheer terror. It is to walk "by
sight" and not by faith. This sort of unbelieving fear is never from
the Holy Spirit (2 Tim 1:7 NKJV) For God has not given us a spirit of
fear ("deilia"), but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
To be fearful, timid or cowardly seems to earn the rebuke of Jesus and
leave us outside the Kingdom. This seems to be making a big fuss of a
small fault! Surely it is "only natural" to be afraid of a storm. And
that's PRECISELY the problem - it indicates that we are thinking as
natural men not spiritual men and have left our faith far behind. It
is also perfectly natural to be afraid of giants living in huge
well-defended walled cities! "(Num 13:31-33 NKJV) But the men who had
gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people,
for they are stronger than we." {32} And they gave the children of
Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, "The
land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its
inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great
stature. {33} "There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came
from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and
so we were in their sight." It was because of this intimidation and
refusal to go up into the promise land that God killed off that entire
generation in the wilderness. Being intimidated is not a "natural
human weakness" it is a terrible moral failure.
Moving through our areas of intimidation is very difficult. People are
terrified of financial short-falls or illness or speaking in public or
going somewhere where the toilets are primitive. When I first became a
Christian I was a very introverted inorganic chemist. I told God I
would do anything for Him except speaking in public and that I would
never be an evangelist, a missionary or a preacher and "make a fool of
myself in front of people". Well guess what - I am still shy but I now
love speaking in public and have been a missionary, an evangelist and
a preacher! God will not surrender His program to bless our lives - to
our fears. Rather He will take us through our fears to victory.
Now one fact that is often overlooked in the preaching on the storm
and on the going into the Promised Land is that Jesus SENT the
disciples out onto the lake and God SENT Israel into the promised
land. This is crucial. The timidity that is sinful is the timidity
that refuses to go when God sends you. It is wise and sensible to be
afraid of some things - and unless God sends us into danger we should
avoid it. But when God sends us into apparent danger or discomfort -
WE MUST GO!
Paul was timid as a public speaker and faced pretty discouraging
audiences that stoned him and rioted. He went a) against his natural
inclination b) into situations of obvious danger and discomfort. But
he still went where God sent him and thus earned the Lord's
commendation. You might be amazed to think that Paul sometimes
struggled with timidity but the Scriptures say he did. "(2 Cor 10:1
NIV) By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you--I,
Paul, who am timid when face to face with you, but bold when away!"
Paul even asked his prayer partners to pray for an increase in his
boldness. (Eph 6:18-20 NKJV) praying always with all prayer and
supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all
perseverance and supplication for all the saints; {19} and for me,
that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to
make known the mystery of the gospel, {20} for which I am an
ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to
speak.
Is there a "promised land" that you are not even going near out of
sheer terror? Do you sense in your heart that God has sent you in a
certain direction but you are sitting there with your eyes as wide as
saucers waiting for "one more sign Lord". (Guess how I know about that
state! Some weeks I live in it!) The first thing to do is to realise
that you are in sin and in danger of rebelling against God. That
should move you out of your chair and into action! Repent by taking
one small step towards the promised land. Put your toes in the Jordan
- and watch the waters recede. (Joshua 3:15,16) God will do wonders as
you obey. He knows that you are scared and the "impossible" will
suddenly become possible when you dare to embrace it. Its like
cleaning my flat on Saturdays. It generally looks impossible. After I
have made a start it suddenly looks a lot easier. That's a trivial
example of a vital principle. Don't let intimidation rule your life.
Ask your prayer partners to pray that you may be bold and then beat
whatever is intimidating you by heading through it - one step at a
time!
Prayer:
Lord we are saints not chickens. We are made to do Your will. Help us
to be bold with Your holy boldness and to head out wherever You send
us with a willing heart full of faith in You. Amen.
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John Edmiston ([email protected])
Editor - Eternity Online Magazine http://www.eternity-magazine.org/
Cults, exegesis, bible teaching, Christian life and leadership.
For the thinking Christian!