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Weapons

             For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. (II Timothy 1:7)

In physics, power is the amount of energy transferred or converted per unit of time. Put in terms of human life, it’s the ability to do work, whether as an individual or a group. Love is wanting what is in the best interests of the beloved. Self-discipline is producing positive outcomes or dealing effectively with the negative outcomes. I describe it, metaphorically and rather crudely, as learning to use the toilet or change your own diaper.

It's easy to be timid, fearful, or overwhelmed. All it takes is a moment of idle hesitation because one moment grows into two and more. To overcome it, we need something that is bigger or stronger.  In this verse, we find several of the old “journalist’s questions.” We also find three weapons with which to overcome fear.

The first question is Who? The answer is first, the Spirit of God, and second, me or we.

The second question is What? The first weapon is power. It’s our potential or present capacity to act. It’s our fuel.

          The third question is When?  The answer is “is,” meaning now.

The fourth question is Where? The implied answer is “wherever we are,” because it’s impossible to do something where we aren’t.

The fifth question is Why? The second weapon is love.  According to Viktor Frankl (Man’s Search for Meaning), if we know our why, we can face any circumstances.

          The sixth question is How? Sometimes, it’s How much? The answer is “Enough” or when we cannot reach “enough” then “all.” The third weapon is self-control. We do until we have either accomplished or failed, not until we give up.

          Yes, this is scary.

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