Fear, or timidity, can paralyze a person and render him ineffective. Especially is that true when it comes to our life as Christians in a hostile world. We're in enemy territory, and the bullets are whizzing all around us. Where will we find the courage we need to be faithful Christians? Faithful Christians are those who are not ashamed of the gospel, nor afraid of suffering for it. Not ashamed, not afraid. The alternative is that we turn into tame and timid "people-pleasers." This is the issue that Paul addresses when he writes to Timothy in our Epistle for today. So the question comes also to us: Which will you be faithful St. Timothy or a fearful "St. Timidity"? Timidity, fear, is a serious drawback to living a faithful Christian life and giving a clear gospel witness. We Christians whether lay or clergy can become intimidated by the world around us. We see the ridicule that Christians are getting--in the news media, on TV sitcoms, and so on--and we draw back. Maybe it's not even a conscious decision, but we do draw back. We hide our faith and compromise our values. We blend in with the crowd. We downplay our differences from the culture that surrounds us. We're afraid that people will not like us as much, that they will reject us, if our Christian faith is too much a part of who we are. But that is timidity. It weakens our Christian witness. And in the long run, it will even weaken our own faith. Timidity, cowardice, fears--these things are not limited to Christians of the twenty-first century. Even first-century Christians could be tempted toward timidity. After all, they had a lot to be intimidated by! Active persecution, not just being disliked, was the threat they faced. Those Christians risked imprisonment and death. That's the context when Paul writes to his young assistant Timothy and gives him this charge: "Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel. For God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Many times in life we come up short because we don't give ourselves more power. The Bible tells us that God will give us a spirit of power! Are you interested in having more power in what you do and say? Get more plugged in to our power source, the spirit of God. Sometimes I fear we live in an age of timid Christians. Too many of us are silenced by the spirit of intimidation the world has created. Christians are ridiculed and put down by pop culture in a way that makes us often afraid to be "one of those." There is nothing new about that. Look at Peter and the other disciples. They were unable to stand up because they had a spirit of fear. Then they had a day of Pentecost and got plugged into the power source that gave them the boldness to go out and change the world. What do you imagine God would like to do with your life? Get rid of the spirit of timidity and plug into the power source and God will do big things with your life. "Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8) In the Bible, Satan seeks to instill fear, to cause timidity, tempt, snare, injure and generally cause problems (No, he cannot kill the soul.) -- As he does go around "as a roaring lion seeking whom He 'may' devour" -- such as lead off astray into a wasted life, for example. One aspect of that is letting simple embarrassment, timidity, or fears limit your effort and keep you from your success. Minor and even major difficulties shall be overcome. You can succeed in all kinds of things. Christians today in StMaarten are not in danger of death, not yet. But the temptation toward timidity is real, nonetheless. Because to be a consistent Christian means that you will not always blend in with the crowd. Your faith, your beliefs based on the word of God, will be noticed by others, and they may not like it. They may not like you. The way you live will be different from what people are used to, and it may make them feel uncomfortable, maybe guilty about their own sin and unbelief, and as a result they lash out at you. In closing remember this scripture Isaiah 41:10 so do not Fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and Help you; I will uphold you with My Righteous Right Hand.