Moving forwARD WITH EAGERNESS

By: Joe Kowalski
Encompass Champion 

​Like many of you I have a few choice verses and even books of the Bible I gravitate towards. The first book of the Bible I can remember reading was James, New testament, not very long and very practical for new a believer.

There are several verses that even non-Christians would likely be familiar with even if they couldn’t cite them: John 3:16 (for God so loved the world…), Genesis 1:1 (In the beginning…), and then there are the verses that are often misquoted: ‘God helps those who help themselves’ most often attributed to Ephesians 2: 4-5, and ‘Money is the root of all evil’ pulled from 1 Timothy 6:10.
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And then there are those verses that we just can’t seem to get away from….in a good way. They pop up in sermons, in small group, and seem to apply to so many situations we are going through in life.

​That verse for my family and I lately, is 2 Timothy 1:7
“For God hath not give us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of a sound mind.” 

I have always loved the simplicity and power explained in this verse. As a believer it is difficult to read this verse and not feel encouraged by the gift of the holy spirit.

My wife and I are preparing ourselves for great change in our life. Our teenagers are growing up, one will be shipping off to the US Marine Corps in a matter of weeks, another one will be a full time college student next year and our baby will be driving in no time. Our parents are aging and we hope to be able to care for them the way they cared for us. Not to mention we are both small business owners with many plates spinning in the air at once.  In very short order, my wife of 20 years and myself will be empty nesting. The changes we face are natural and should come as no surprise to either of us; however, the unknowns that come with these changes can be a bit unnerving. 


In Paul's final letter to Timothy, he reminds him of his tremendous faith and spurs him on to remain faithful. I too must remind myself to be thankful for all God has done in our lives to this point, and remember there is no limit to that faithfulness. We are gifted with the spirit of power, and love and self-discipline. We must believe that these are real tools, real powers at our disposal when we begin to worry about our kids' future and safety, about our parents’ health, and about our employees' well-being.


Instead of worrying, we should take a deep breath and be confident in that we are not gifted a spirit of timidity or fear. We should be thankful, give everything that we need to, up in prayer and move forward with eagerness for what ever God has in store for us.