2 Timothy 1:7 – For God does not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

Did you get that? The Spirit God gives us doesn’t make us live in fear, but it gives us power, love, and self-discipline. God has given each of us gifts, and in this scripture we learn three gifts that God is trying to lavish on us daily. It’s like he’s constantly trying to deal them out to us. “Here, this is my gift for you today. I’ve got some power. I’ve got some love. And I’ve got some self-discipline.”

Listen to me! The power, and the love, and the self-discipline that you need to live today isn’t all up to you. You don’t have to manufacture this stuff yourself. You’re not alone in this. God is offering you each of these as a gift through his spirit, and the only thing holding you back is you. The only thing holding me back is me.

I know what I could do, I know what I should do, but when it comes right down do it, I’m lacking the power, I’m lacking the love, and I’m often lacking the self-discipline to do it. And for this I have the spirit of God living in me.

For this I have God.

Your lack of power, your failing love, and your weak self-discipline bring you back to God over and over again and the truth is, God allows some things in your life just to remind you that he is God and you can’t do it without him.

You woke up this morning to God once again offering you the gifts of power, love, and self-discipline. So I have an idea, let’s thank him for these gifts and rip into them today. I need these gifts! Yes God! Thank you! I receive them!

Along with these 3 gifts waiting for you today is another offer with a big bow on it. This gift is familiar to you, offered to you every day of your life from your enemy. Yes, Satan offers gifts and his signature gift for you is FEAR. How many days have you opened his gift and carried it around with you every hour of the day.? You put on that fear from the enemy and wear it like your favorite sweater. It’s become part of you – you don’t leave home without it – you don’t go to bed without it.

May you remember that fear didn’t come from God. That wasn’t one of his gifts – that came from the enemy. Won’t you loosen your grip on the fear today? Won’t you release it so you can receive the 3 gifts God is offering you instead? Don’t you see how your fear has done nothing but hold you back and keep you stuck? That’s some of Satan’s finest work. Step out of his plan today!

Next, decide you won’t try to power through in your own strength. You don’t have what it takes and you’re not supposed to. It doesn’t mean that you’re lacking or not good enough. Those are lies from the enemy. If you’ve been hearing that you’re lacking or not good enough, that message didn’t come from God.

You were created to need God. I once heard that we all were created with a God-sized hole within that only he can fill. I don’t know which of these three gifts you most need today, whether it be power, love, or self-discipline, but God has the perfect sized power, the perfect sized love, and the perfect sized self-discipline available for you today.

Whatever you may be facing right now, it’s an opportunity to experience a God sized power in your life. The mountain is too big for you to move yourself. Newsflash, you’re not supposed to move it yourself. For this you have the gift of God’s power.

The person who is a thorn in your side, the one causing you havoc, the one who is so darn unlovable right now. You’re just done and you can’t love them on your own, well you’re not supposed to. For this you have the power of God’s love.

The goal that you’ve tried again and again to achieve, the task that never gets completed, the one you simply don’t have enough self-discipline to be successful with, you’re not supposed to, for this you have the power of God’s self-discipline.

God’s spirit living within you removes fear and comes bearing gifts. So let’s just receive them today. How fortunate are we? We woke up with these gifts just waiting for us. I accept all three, but I especially need one of those. I mean, I really need one of those today. Do you accept all three, but really need one of those an extra bit? Do you need that power? Maybe that love. How about the self-discipline.

Well you’ve got to let go of the fear first, it didn’t come from God, and then accept his gift. He’s got the perfect sized power, the perfect sized love, the perfect sized self-discipline for you today. Just accept it, receive it. Admit that you don’t have what it takes and you’re not supposed to. You can’t do it on your own because you’re not supposed to do it on your own.

Isn’t that a huge weight off your shoulders? Like, take a deep breath girl! You’re not supposed to handle this on your own! You need God. You need his power. You need his love. You need his self-discipline. And he’s offering it all to you today. Receive it.