Fear and Impatience

Bid the older women similarly to be reverent and devout in their deportment as becomes those engaged in sacred service, not slanderers or slaves to drink. They are to give good counsel and be teachers of what is right and noble, So that they will wisely train the young women to be sane and sober of mind (temperate, disciplined) and to love their husbands and their children, To be self-controlled, chaste, homemakers, good-natured (kindhearted), adapting and subordinating themselves to their husbands, that the word of God may not be exposed to reproach (blasphemed or discredited). ~ Titus 2:3-5 AMP

FEAR and IMPATIENCE: The two main inhibitors keeping us from a fulfilled life. And the two deadly arrows of the enemy that have held sway over me most of my life. FEAR will hold us down while IMPATIENCE will kick us forward. FEAR will cause the Believer to fall far behind while IMPATIENCE will cause the very same Believer to run ahead and out of the favored position of God. These two are the antithesis of DISCIPLINE and DEVOTION in the our lives.

In Old Covenant times, priests would use two sharp hooks to keep the sacrifice from slithering off of the altar. In just the same manner as we pursue lives as Living Sacrifices, the two hooks of Discipline and Devotion will keep us safely upon the altar of our Blessed ADONAI.

Both fear and impatience have their roots in depleted soil that lacks nurturing LOVE. Sounds too easy and too cliche, doesn’t it? But if we are to be victors of what has been defeating many (dare I say most) of us, we must dig past the surface and examine the roots…our roots.

There is no fear in love. On the contrary, love that has achieved its goal gets rid of fear, because fear has to do with punishment; the person who keeps fearing has not been brought to maturity in regard to love.  
                                                                        1 John 4:18

Love is patient… ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4

Now, let’s look at the truth-filled promise of 2 Timothy 1:7: For God gave us a Spirit who produces not timidity, but power, love and self-discipline.

Observe the altar hooks of Discipline and Devotion. Both words hail from the combined root word sozo – ‘to heal, deliver and make whole’ and phren – ‘the mind, feelings and understanding’.

2 Timothy 1:7 declares that our LORD has not given us a spirit of fear (timidity), but rather He has given us His Spirit of Power and Love which ‘MAKES a sound and whole mind’! Powerful wisdom for living!

Now, as we ourselves come along this road to healing, we are to bring others with us. In fact, they will be part of our healing. For we have been given the great responsibility and privilege of TEACHING and TRAINING the younger women of the church ‘making them of a sound mind’. Re-read the Titus 2 passage above. This is what we have been appointed and anointed to do by our Heavenly Father. Did you notice that the Teacher is a ‘teacher of good things’ both in word and deed? That is where we really learn, isn’t it – through both a woman’s LIPS as well as her LIVING?

Here are FIVE beautiful ways to G.R.A.C.E. one another…

(I am at the cafe…with a latte!  Follow me there for the REST of the story…)