If we have the Power of God living in us, why do we act like a bunch of spiritual wimps?

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

It drives me crazy to see fellow believers who are walking around with a timid, afraid attitude. It appears that we have a church full of religious wimps. Afraid to take any action due to the fact it might be misunderstood or offensive to those in the church and workplace. So these timid Christians quietly keep their heads down and go through the battle of life during the week and come to Church on Sunday to celebrate their Faith. To the non believers, why would anyone want to be a Christian, if it means becoming a wimp?

This verse give encouragement to men and women of faith and action. As a believer, I know I was not given a timid spirt. The Holy Spirit who lives in us is a Spirit of power that is balanced by love and self-discipline. I think the concept that best describes the combination of these three, power, love and self-discipline is MEEKNESS.

I define Meekness as strength under control. Meekness is going into any situation full of confidence and strength but keeping yourself under control. Jesus modeled meekness everyday. He had more power, more love and more self-discipline that any man who ever walked on the earth. Yet his attitude was that of meekness. He could have nuked the Pharisees at any point for any number of reasons but he did not. There was not one shred of timidity when Jesus ran the money changers out of the temple. As a believer we have power indwelling in us through the Holy Spirit, not timidity. This Spirit of Power should bring you incredible confidence as you push your square rocks of life uphill.

It is this attitude of meekness that keeps the power we have dwelling in us under control. The command of "love your neighbor as yourself" provides the important balance to power. Self-discipline is also needed to balance power as it focuses us on living in the Spirit where our power resides. Without self-discipline we always choose to live in the Flesh where we try to create "self power". Without God, we have no real power just the worldly power that is not sustainable. Power without Love leads to arrogance. An attitude of arrogance leads us quickly into sin and living in the flesh.

So go into the battle of life today knowing you possess a Spirit of power that is balanced with God's love. Our job is chose to be self disciplined by focusing our mind, body and soul on things of the Spirit not the Flesh. This combination will produce meekness which is strength under control and focused on showing the love of God to the "one another's" we encounter today.