Not a Spirit of Fear, but of Power and Love
by Daniel Dinesh
10 May 2021
The call by Jesus “Therefore go and make disciples…” (Matthew 28:19) can be daunting to many Christians. It certainly was for me. Even as a leader in church, the fear of not having the right words to speak, or perhaps being rejected or ridiculed would often play in my mind. Questions like “How do I get started?” or “What if this person gets angry” would stop me from responding to the prompting I felt in engaging an individual about my faith.
This troubled me greatly for many years, making me feel like a hypocrite. I would often cry out to God asking for a deeper love for the lost, and for Him to replace my fear with boldness. As I continued seeking empowerment for the commission given by Jesus, I sensed a constant reminder of His promise that “He has not given me a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power and of love…” (2 Timothy 1:7).
This period of seeking and crying out to God was a much-needed time for me in seeing a realignment of my heart. The power of God would often come over me and overwhelm me to tears for the lost. I started seeing divine opportunities open to witness and share Christ with friends, family, and even random strangers.
It was in these moments I heard the Holy Spirit remind me that “Faith without works is dead…” (James 2:26) and until I started obeying, I would continue being bound by the spirit of fear and remain fruitless. It was an intentional choice I needed to make. What was it going to be?
I recall as I started choosing the path of faith and obedience over fear, God showed up in the most amazing ways. Every time I started engaging an individual having determined in my heart to share Christ, the words just started flowing as the Holy Spirit brought enablement (Matthew 10:19). I started seeing God divinely open new opportunities for many to encounter his power through healing and deliverance, thus confirming His Word.
Today when I reflect on my own experience, it is one like the apostle Peter experienced. Like Peter, I was passionate and loved my Lord, but was cowering in fear. Like Peter I denied my Lord by choosing not to share my faith directly and openly with those God brought into my life. But like Peter, God never gave up on me, and His grace continued restoring me and affirming me. Like Peter God heard my cry of repentance and empowered and enabled me to start being an effective witness and disciple maker for Him.
Friends, perhaps as you read this testimony you are someone who resonates with what I share. Deep down in your heart there is a longing to be an effective witness and disciple maker for Christ, but you’ve allowed fear and past failures to hold you back. Would you decide like I did to come and surrender these feelings and baggage to Jesus today?
God has divine appointments waiting for you. There are family, friends and people whom He has specifically chosen to encounter His love through your faithfulness in being a witness. How will these people hear and believe without someone sharing the Gospel with them (Romans 10:14)? What will your choice be today? Will you choose faith and obedience over fear?
It is my prayer that as you get on your knees and cry out to God for a greater brokenness for the lost, God will pour out his love and divine empowerment upon you, propelling you towards your calling as an effective witness and disciple maker for Jesus! I prophecy Revelation 12:11 over you, “that you are an overcomer by the blood of the lamb and the word of your testimony”, and together we the church will continue advancing God’s Kingdom until the day Jesus returns again for His bride!
