A Spirit Not of Fear...

I heard this song for the first time about a year ago. It is a great reminder that courage is not the absense of fear but the ability to press on in spite of our fears. Or as the apostle Paul told young Timothy:  ^"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." II Timothy 1:7  The NIV says, "the...does not make us timid, and the ESV implies that "a sound mind" is demonstrated through "self-control." But the point Paul makes to Timothy is God means for us to have courage in Him so that fear does not cause panic (or unsound thoughts or wreckless actions).

As Christians, when we DIScourage people, intentionally or unintentionally, we sap them of courage and the sense that, with God's help, they can reach their goals. When we ENcourage one another we  inspire hope and confidence to press on knowing that our Hevenly Father goes before us. I love the way these thoughts were put to music in a song called "Pioneer." (lyrics below the screen).


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Pioneer, Pioneer

Keep pressing onwards beyond your fears

And only your Father goes before you to your own frontier

Youʼre a Pioneer

 Uncharted wilderness stretches before you

And you thrive on going where no one has gone

Still it gets lonely when darkness rears

So sing by the fire until the dawn

[Chorus]

You travel light and you travel alone

And when you arrive nobody knows

But your Father in heaven, He is glad you can go

Cause those who come after you will need the road

[Chorus]

And what you have done, others will do

Bigger and better and faster than you

But you canʼt look back, you gotta keep on pressing through

Thereʼs a wilderness pathway and itʼs calling you

 Calling you, calling you

Keep pressing onwards beyond your fears

And only your Father goes before you to your own frontier

Youʼre a Pioneer

Written by Nancy Honeytree Miller