The Gift was Quiet!

Standing up for myself has never come natural to me. It’s funny, because, I consider myself a strong person and certainly one with strong convictions. And, as quickly as I can jump right in on behalf of those in need, or even exhaust myself toward a cause in which my heart believes, I struggle with doing the same for myself. Instead, many times, I stay quiet.

However, as time has gone on, as God often does, He allowed scripture to open the door of truth while life applied the lessons.

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid,
but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.
(2 Timothy 1:7 NIV)

From the very beginning, God’s gift of His spirit was given to each of us once we accepted Him. But, in this verse we see something much more. We see an additional benefit where “the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid.”

“Timid” according to the English Oxford Dictionary is “someone who is lacking courage or confidence; easily frightened”. So, with Christ, we can now take those options off of our list. We no longer have to lack courage or confidence. However, what I noticed wasn’t on the list was the word “quiet,” which was of a particular interest to me. Can we be quiet and still not be timid?

Part of the answer comes in the second part of the verse. He “gives us power, love and self discipline.” All three of these components are individual gifts from God, but combined, they give us a discernment from the Holy Spirit that allows us to have an understanding beyond our human capabilities. This means we have His spirit within us. Again, I am asking the question, can we still have power, love, and self-discipline and yet be quiet? Then the answer hit me…

The Gift was quiet…

For THREE DAYS

Then HE AROSE!

                                                                         

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.
He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.

Do you believe this?”
She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ,
the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
(John 11:25-27 NKJV)