The Rules of Engaging Grief

Scripture: For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline. 1 Timothy 7

Prayer: Lord, help me to grasp exactly what this spirit is that resides within me.

Response: That’s the question. It is not for you to look over the field and begin to judge those who have gathered there as if for a race. No it is for you to explore your depth and to identify what I have touched to make you special. Take your time. In your distraction you might not have looked sufficiently deep. Once you begin to acknowledge those special gifts it is in the acknowledging you throw off your timidity. Timidity exists only in comparison, as you once looked about judging you against another.    At this point, you will find that it is like shedding a heavy woolen overcoat in summertime.And without that overcoat, you will find that you can actually feel coursing throughout your body a spirit of power that reflects my love to others; a new confidence envelops you, not for your purpose but for mine.

Regarding self-discipline, I am not talking of a rigidity of thought or even practice, but rather I am encouraging in you self-respect for others. Though you might think you have the “word,” as you might be encouraged to believe, it is through self-discipline that my spirit of power serves to touch those about you — yes, those in distress and uncertainty, those who ask questions that seemingly go unanswered.The spirit of power is found in the bounty of my love.

All for this morning.