2 Timothy 1:7

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7

God wants us to know that fear isn’t from the God we serve. We will all come upon situations where we are afraid. Speaking in front of people was always mine. I hated my Speech class in college, but it was a requirement. I’m afraid of messing up or stuttering and looking foolish. So I did what I could to survive and pass the class. It was never my best, and was criticized by the teacher because of that. Recently, I have felt called to be a lector at Mass. I pushed the calling to the side for so long because of my fear. It took a bit for me to understand God wouldn’t call me to do something and then instill fear in me. That was Satan trying to prevent me from following God.

God has given me a spirit of power, so I am stronger than Satan and fear because of God. I use His love and calm thinking when I approach the altar, and even though I feel the butterflies, I know I have practiced and God is with me. And I read the readings at Mass to the Church with no stuttering.

Lord, thank you for your gift of power and love. Thank you for continuing to reach out and pursuing me, even when I pushed you to the side. Thank you for helping me overcome a fear so I can help share your word.