DAILY DEVOTIONAL TODAY - January 31, 2023 || Our Daily Bread [Daily Devotion] | MamClaireTV

Devotional Message:
(II Timothy 1:7)
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

We often think of fear as the reaction to scary events, like the screams in a horror movie. But some of our most fearful behavior is often hid from us. Many people who are living daily in fear aren’t even aware of it. In “Surrender To Love” Dr. Benner writes, “One of the things that block us from gaining freedom from fear is that most fearful people don’t think of themselves as afraid. Unless their fears are focused on something external (such as snakes, heights or crowds), most people in bondage to fear fail to recognize the true nature of their inner distress. – Although the object of one’s fears may seem to be external, the real source of the fear is internal. The danger is within. The enemy is one’s own self, or at least some aspect of their self.” This is what Paul was trying to get across. We are so focused on our behavior we don’t see the motivation behind it. Paul called it a “spirit of fear”. It is this internal pervasive fear that controls what we do. It is spiritual and emotional. Satan is a liar and accuser so he fills our head with fear. Our own experience and belief systems do the rest. If we take most of the fear we have, we will see that it is a fear of what others will think or do. But today’s passage says that we do not have to live in that kind of fear. Why? Because God has given us something else. He has given us power, love and a self-discipline. What an alternative to anything we would dread. Anything we fear can be defeated either by God’s power, love or the self-discipline He has given us. So today, when you are tempted to act out of fear, remember, there are other options. Give the power, love and the self-discipline that God has given you a chance.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I thank You for not giving me a