Does the Boogie Man Rule in Your House? (part 1)

When I was a child I truly believed the Boogie Man lived in the chimney of our coal furnace. He made rumbling, scary noises every night when I tried to sleep. I was sure he climbed up the outside of that chimney and looked into our second story bedroom window at night. I could just feel it! I get goose bumps just thinking of how scared of him I used to be!

That’s all childish imagination gone wild. What scares you now? What provokes a fear in your heart that is hard to relinquish?

I used to be afraid of many things, but as my faith grew, that fear diminished and is now gone completely. In the book of II Timothy, Paul reminds his dear protégé that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (II Timothy 1:7, NKJV) That power is evident as we implement it into our work situations, our church responsibilities, and our families. Let’s explore that verse a little deeper.

I’ve often heard people say that they could never be a public speaker because of their fear of crowds. Just what are they afraid of? That the crowd will throw tomatoes? That they will walk out or that they will rise up in protest? Our fears are so ridiculous sometimes. Satan is such a provoker of fear and the unknown. He puts barriers up that prevent us from taking steps of faith. Instead, we end up missing opportunities for God to work in us and through us to reach others for His glory!

The power that Paul speaks of in II Timothy is the Holy Spirit. He is there with us at that speaker’s podium or at the head of that Sunday school class filled with eager students. He is present in our hearts, souls, and minds to work His wonder with our words. I’ve often left a speaking opportunity wondering just what I could have said that made any impact at all! That’s Satan using his power to make me feel incapable. Later, as I’ve talked with people, shook their hands, and listened, I’ve heard different words spoken into my heart, words of hope and help that were spoken through me to their hearts and souls. They were words that only God could have put there and used in His mighty way. Sometimes when I speak I say things that I’m not even aware of where they came from because they certainly were not in my speech or presentation. That’s truly a God-thing.

(Watch for parts 2 and 3)