2 Timothy 1:7
…for God gave us
a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
I went ice
skating last week. I’m not what you might call “athletically inclined,” so this
was more about me doing an act of love for my active husband than fulfilling a
personal desire to learn to skate.
My first few times around the rink were
downright stressful because I was trying so hard not to fall. That ice is
slippery stuff, and I don’t like bruises. So I faltered around for a while, and
decided quickly that I needed a rest. My husband continued around the rink
because he actually enjoys skating. I watched him go, envious of his boldness.
I admired his willingness to try new things, regardless of whether or not he
might fall as he learned. I even envied the little kids who seemed to have
great balance—and great fun—as they glided on the ice.
And suddenly it
dawned on me: I’d much rather focus on learning to skate than on simply not
falling. One was a positive focus; the other was wholly negative. How can you
be free to skate if you’re afraid of falling?
How can you
really do anything if you’re afraid
of failure?
I’ve lived so much of my life trying to avoid failure that I often
don’t enjoy living. If God has not
given me a spirit of fear (and timidity, as some translations say), then why am
I so timid? What does He really want me to accomplish in this life, in my
relationships and in my walk with Him, that I’m too distracted to see because I
don’t want to get bruised?
He’s given us a
spirit of power, love and of a sound mind. He’s prepared us to truly live. Are
we walking that out? I think He’s destined all of us to be excellent skaters,
if we’d only stop worrying about the ice and let Him teach us how to glide.
And I think we’ll
have a lot of fun doing it, too.
