Mtr Kelli Joyce

Dear friends in Christ,

The first Bible verse I remember learning - the first one I remember loving - is 2 Timothy 1:7. The version I learned went like this: “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, and of power, and of a sound mind.”

I was afraid a lot as a child. Of the dark, of dogs, of heights, of roller coasters, of storms. Worst of all were the moments when I was afraid of nothing in particular, but terribly afraid nonetheless. This Bible verse, which I had learned by happenstance at a church event on Halloween when I was four years old, became a touchstone in my mind. It brought me comfort when no amount of logical reflection on why my fears were disproportionate would help.

The world around us is so afraid, and so full of things it seems that it would be only right and reasonable to fear. Beyond fear of the dark and of roller coasters now, we fear dangerous ideologies and dangerous people whose intentions we cannot trust. We fear the upending of our world views. We fear the overwhelming suffering and need we see all around us. We fear death.

Friends, God has not given us a Spirit of fear. But the fear that we feel can’t be expelled without a replacement. That replacement is the Spirit that God has given us - a Spirit of love, and of power, and of self-discipline. These things are God’s will for us, and our birthright as God’s children. There is no power in this world that is greater than the one who created and sustains the world. There is no hate strong enough to undo the cosmic victory of God’s overwhelming love for us, revealed in the death and resurrection of God in Jesus.

Remembering these truths is one part of the fight against the grip of fear. The other part, equally essential, is action. Through intentional self-discipline, we must take the power and love that God has given us, and extend it to the world around us. We must choose unreasonable and imprudent actions for the sake of the world and the people who Christ so lovingly and unreasonably chose to die for.

I don’t know what the future holds, and fear still seeks to stake a claim on my heart. But I take heart when I remember that God wills peace and courage for us, and will never leave us or forsake us.

Mtr. Kelli