For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind –
2 Timothy 1:7
One of the important principles for connecting with people is this: Be courageous and take the initiative! Don’t wait on somebody else to connect with you. You must take the initiative to connect with them. This often takes courage. Why? Because when we’re full of fear and anxiety, we don’t get close to each other. In fact, we back off from each other. We’re afraid of being rejected, manipulated, hurt, or used.2 Timothy 1:7
Fear does three terrible things to relationships:
• Our fears make us defensive.
We’re afraid to reveal ourselves. When people point out weaknesses we retaliate and defend ourselves.
• Our fears keep us distant.
We don’t let people get close to us. We want to withdraw and hide our emotions. We don’t want to be open and honest.
• Our fears make us demanding.
The more insecure we are the more we try to control or dominate things. We try to have the last word in a relationship. It’s always a symptom of fear and insecurity.
Where do you get the courage for taking the first step in connecting with someone? You get it from God’s Spirit in you. The Holy Spirit makes you courageous in your relationships. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit you love people. You enjoy being with them. You’re not afraid of them because God’s Spirit is with you. The Bible says “God is love” (1 John 4:16) and “Love casts out all fear” (1 John 4:18 ). The more of God you have in your life the less fear you’ll have in your life.
From today, determine to always take the initiative to connect with people and share the Gospel with them.
Prayer:
Lord, I ask for the grace and boldness to connect with others. Guide me and give me success in all my human interactions.Scriptural Reading:
2 Timothy 1:1-12
#YearOfWisdom
