by Charie Winburn

Created on: September 02, 2009   Last Updated: September 12, 2009

Living in a world full of conflict sometimes creates fear in the hearts of many. Hope for the future comes through the example and life of the Savior, Jesus Christ. Even in a world of violence, immorality and conflict Christian men and women often find themselves perched on the edge of a precipice, precariously waiting for a strong wind to blow them one way or the other.

In 2 Timothy 1:7 the apostle Paul wanted the people of his day as well as today to understand that Jesus Christ gave us tools so we would not be afraid. Paul wrote, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." In Paul's day many people had known Jesus prior to his crucifixion. These people had witnessed the death of their savior. They had also seen the exile or death of the twelve apostles. Paul wanted those people (and indeed all people) to understand that fear does not come from God. Faith is truly the opposite of fear. As a person develops the ability to truly trust God and follow the Savior's footsteps the fear dissipates. That is not to say that there will never be a moment of fear in a righteous person's life; fear is a natural, human emotion. It is conquering this fear that brings confidence and hope.

According to Paul God gave people the spirit of power, described in Acts as the power received after the "Holy Ghost is come upon you." (Acts 1:8) In other words, the Holy Ghost gives man the ability to know good from evil which is, in itself, power. It is interesting to think that the simple act of listening to the whisperings of the Holy Ghost infuses power into everything you do. God did not leave man here on earth to work things out on his own, He gave the "spirit of power" to allow man to learn and grow in a positive environment.

A young mother found that her daughter Ruth was afraid of everything. She was very concerned, knowing that fear can be crippling if allowed to fester. She began to find time each day to read the scriptures with Ruth and testify of her faith in the power of the Holy Ghost. She watched her daughter transform before her eyes. Not all at once, but "line upon line" (Isaiah 28:10). As Ruth began recognizing the power of the Holy Ghost in her life each day she felt much more influential in the things she experienced. Today, Ruth is an amazing woman who has the confidence to face whatever the world has to offer.

The second spirit Paul mentions is the "spirit of...love." If you have ever listened to two teenagers

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