“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7
All Hallows Eve, also known as Halloween, is a debatable topic within Christian circles. Some Christians believe it is sinful to celebrate Halloween; whereas, other Christians believe there is nothing wrong with celebrating Halloween. Whether your family celebrates Halloween or not is entirely up to you. By consulting God, He will help you discern the matter for yourself.
As long as the Halloween celebrations are whimsical and for children, I personally do not see anything wrong with celebrating. Children dressing up in costumes, going trick-or-treating, and collecting candy is not “of the devil.” While there are scarier parts of Halloween, most families are not participating in this type of Halloween celebration. Instead, they are helping their children pick out a costume, taking them trick-or-treating, and coming home to enjoy the candy.
Nonetheless, the decision is between you and God. Those who celebrate Halloween should not look down on those who don’t, and those who don’t celebrate Halloween should not look down on those who do. Instead, there needs to be mutual respect and kindness being conveyed between the family of God.
During Halloween, it is common for us to get more scared than normal. This is especially true since the daylight has already gotten shorter and we are beginning to have more time sitting in darkness. This alone can cause fear to rise in our hearts. However, there are other things that can be just as scary. Work deadlines, relationship issues, and financial concerns can all be more scary than clowns or ghosts when we are adults.
This is why we need to use All Hallow's Eve to reflect on the things that are truly scary to us now. I’m no longer afraid of black cats, but I am afraid of my bills each month. Although these fears can be dismissed by many people in our lives, they are valid fears. Even though we are not afraid of the boogeyman or a monster, we are afraid of many real world issues that can happen to us.
With these fears, we need to bring them before Jesus. The Lord cares about all of our fears, and He desires to give us comfort. This reality is shown to us throughout the Bible. Jesus is constantly telling us to not be afraid for He is with us (Isaiah 41:10). Instead of giving way to fear, we need to trust in the Lord and find comfort in Him.
The Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” When we are feeling fear rise in our hearts, we need to run to the Lord. The Spirit God has given us does not make us afraid or fearful. Rather, the Spirit God has given us gives us power, love, and self-discipline. With a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline, we can face anything this world throws at us.
When we are sitting in the office before a big meeting, we need to reflect on 2 Timothy 1:7. We can recite to ourselves, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” By keeping this verse at the front of our minds, it will help calm our fears. In the same way, if we are worried about talking to our boss about a difficult subject, we need to remind ourselves of the Spirit God has given us.
Whatever we are facing, we can approach it with confidence because of God. He will strengthen us and give us everything we need in order to be fearless. He has already blessed us with the Spirit, who comforts our hearts and gives us bravery. Whenever you are feeling afraid this Halloween season, turn to the Lord and trust Him. Through the work of the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, we can withstand any fearful situation.
On the other side of the fearful situation, we will not be as scared anymore. Since we know God is with us, we can be brave. Nothing and no one is stronger or more powerful than God. He is above all things and everything has to kneel to Him (Philippians 2:10-11). By this very knowledge, we can trust God and allow our fears to wash away.
Let's pray:
“Dear Jesus, Halloween can be a scary time for children, but I have a few fears of my own. I’m afraid of my work meeting, the deadline on my project, and a few financial issues. Please help me to remember that You have given me a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. You have not given me a spirit of fear. I praise You, Lord and thank You for always being with me. Amen.”
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Alexander Spatari
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
Kerry Washington, Andrea Bocelli, Reba McEntire, Mark Wahlberg, Tony Dungy, and Matthew McConaughey—what do all of these people have in common? They are all people of faith who have leaned on God in both the good and challenging times—and they’ve shown up to tell their stories of faith on The Jesus Calling Podcast. The Jesus Calling Podcast provides a place for people from all walks of life to share the heartaches, joys, and divine moments that keep them going.
Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.
Originally published Thursday, 31 October 2024.
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