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Choose Love
Dale D. Eshleman, M.S., LMFT #1695
Episcopal
Counseling Center of Central Florida, Inc.
Paul wrote to Timothy, a young protégé of his these words in encouraging him
to share the Gospel of Christ:
“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through
the laying on of my hands.
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of
love and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy
1:6-7 New King James Version).
This idea of being immobilized by a spirit of fear and being empowered by
God’s spirit of love is something I encounter daily in both my family life
and my work life.
In my daily work with clients I frequently encounter people who are
paralyzed by fear. Fear of what
others will think of them, fear of making a poor choice, fear of failure,
fear of the unknown, fear of not being in the right, fear of loss, fear of
fear. This spirit of fear – more
than a reasonable anxiety about decisions or the unknown, and different than
a panic response – immobilizes and undermines the very truth of the Gospel.
God chose to demonstrate His love for us, his creation, by sending
His only son to redeem us from our sins through His death on a cross.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love
and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV).
How do we live out of a spirit of love instead of a spirit of fear?
It’s a daily, even hourly choice.
Choose to respond out of love in as many situations that arise as you
are aware! Respond out of love
for yourself – forgiving yourself for making poor choices.
Respond out of love for the members of your household – even when
you’re dealing with the same exact issue you’ve addressed with them 4,000
times already! Respond out of
love with those whom you do not agree even as they verbally attack all you
hold dear.
Check in with yourself – “is what I am about to say, coming out of a
sense of fear about this situation or the issue that is underneath the
surface?” “What can I say or do
differently that demonstrates my choice to respond out of love?” Choose love
– love wins.
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