Power, Love, and Discipline
One of the miracles of salvation is that when we have faith in Christ, God not only saves us—He also gives us the power to live according to His will. Your life in Christ is empowered by the Holy Spirit living within you.
This is a great gift, but it requires a significant shift. It often takes time to change how we think and act. We may have bad habits that take hard work to correct or patterns of thought that are challenging to break.
Thankfully, God promises to be with us and to empower us to make these changes in our lives. When Paul writes to his mentee Timothy, he encourages him to continue developing the gift that God has given him. While we are saved in an instant, it takes a lifetime to develop and work out what God is doing inside of us.
In 2 Timothy 1:7, Paul reminds Timothy that God’s Spirit does not give us fear or cowardice. Those things are tools of the devil, who tries to keep us from God. But the Spirit of God empowers us with confidence in Him. He gives us the power to live out His purposes in our lives. This power is something we need to continually remember as we face challenges.
The Spirit of God also empowers us to love others. It can be difficult to love people, especially those who may have hurt us. But God promises to give us His power and love so that we can be a light to everyone around us.
God’s Spirit also empowers us with self-discipline. We won’t experience spiritual change and growth if we don’t train and practice—but that takes time, dedication, and endurance. We need to be consistent in doing the things that God asks us to do, including reading God’s Word and talking to Him. Thankfully, when we belong to God, He helps us. He gives us the strength, stamina, and soundness of mind to build habits that help us become more like Him.
Today, take some time to talk with God. Ask Him to empower you by His Spirit towards power, love, and self-discipline. Consider how God is leading you to change the way you live. As you do that, remember that God doesn’t give us fear. He fills us with love because He wants us to experience a confident relationship with Him.
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