DAILY HOPE WITH RICK WARREN 23RD AUGUST 2023.
Daily Hope Devotional by Pastor Rick Warren for today is here to give you the encouragement to live the life God has called you to. Please read, pray and share this devotional with someone today.
The topic of Daily Hope by Rick Warren 23rd August 2023 ”Three Things Fear Does to Relationships”
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: 2 Timothy 1:7 (TLB)
“For the Holy Spirit, God’s gift, does not want you to be afraid of people, but to be wise and strong, and to love them and enjoy being with them.”
Click here for yesterday’s message by Pastor Rick Warren.
RICK WARREN DAILY DEVOTIONAL FOR TODAY 23RD AUGUST 2023
If you want to connect with someone, you need to be willing to take the first step. This often requires courage. Why? Because it’s fear that disconnects human beings.
When we’re full of fear and anxiety, it’s difficult to get close to others. In fact, we back off. We’re afraid of being rejected, manipulated, vulnerable, or hurt. All these fears can cause us to stay disconnected in life.
In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve gave us an example of what many of us do when we’re afraid. After they sinned, God came looking for Adam. And Adam told God, “I was afraid . . . so I hid” (Genesis 3:10 NIV). People have been doing that ever since. We’re afraid, so we hide. We hide our sins. We hide our true selves. We don’t let people know what we’re really like—because if we do and they don’t like us, we’ll face rejection. And so we pretend.
Fear does three terrible things to relationships:
Fear makes us defensive. When people point out our weaknesses, we retaliate and defend ourselves.
Fear keeps us distant. We don’t let people get close to us. We withdraw. We hide our emotions.
Fear makes us demanding. The more insecure we are, the more we attempt to control things. We try to have the last word in a relationship. We seek to dominate.
So where do you get the courage to take the first step to connect with someone and go to a deeper level of intimacy?
You get it from God’s Spirit in your life. The Bible says, “For the Holy Spirit, God’s gift, does not want you to be afraid of people, but to be wise and strong, and to love them and enjoy being with them” (2 Timothy 1:7 TLB).
How do you know when you’re filled with God’s Spirit? You’re more courageous in your relationships. You love people. You enjoy being with them. You’re not afraid of them—because God’s Spirit is in your life.
The Bible says that “God is love” (1 John 4:8 ESV) and that “love casts out all fear” (1 John 4:18 TLB). Is fear undermining your relationships? The more of God you have in your life, the less fear will have a hold on your life.
This devotional is written by Pastor Rick Warren. Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer. The various ministries Pastor Rick has created are a multi-faceted expression of his heart to bring the whole Gospel to the whole world. Read more about Rick Warren Devotional.
Thank you for reading. This Devotional was shared via www.TheDevotionals.com.ng