“God has not given us the spirit of timidity” - 2 Timothy 1:7
FICKLENESS
I’ve often struggled with fickleness. What I write here is what’s challenged and helped me, based on this verse in 2 Timothy 1:7 - that God didn’t give us the spirit of timidity, but His will is that we have a boldness about us, which is based in faith and confidence in His love.
The word “Fickle” means constantly changing, and unpredictable - to constantly doubt and jump back and forth between things. Being paralyzed by questions; “what if, what if....” Many times we seek the Lord and get a clear word, only to allow feelings or trials to make us start questioning everything. The fickle are constantly in a state of changing their mind.
This is not God’s will.
“Don’t dig up in doubt what you planted in faith.” - Elisabeth Elliot
“Don’t doubt in the dark what God showed you in the light.”
Don't doubt in the dark (chaotic feelings or circumstances) what God showed you in the light (previously from His Word, confirmations by His Spirit as you sought Him before).
AN EXAMPLE
Suppose God has showed us so much truth and confirmation in Scripture and guidance as we sought Him in something. But then later an intense situation or feeling comes and starts to make us doubt what He previously spoke to us. And the devil starts tempting us, saying, “Yeah, that was probably all wrong.” That is doubting in the dark what God already showed us in the light. It's being led by feelings rather than being led by the Spirit.
Jesus warned us against this in the parable of the sower: “they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.” Mark 4:17 NASB1995
Fickleness means to have “no firm root” when affliction (trials) or persecution and pressure from others comes to uproot us. God wants us to have a firm root! To hear from God and be planted there strongly.
There is a place for seeking important direction, and seeking wisdom. But when our feelings are stirred, and we’re in the middle of some trial, that is NOT the time to start contemplating all the clear life choices God led you to before that.
“No farmer sows seed in the middle of a storm.” We cannot be productive in wisdom when our emotions are out of control.
This happened to the Israelites constantly. God can show us a word from Scripture, or an amazing confirmation to a question we had, some wise counsel we received, or even a miracle - and all of the sudden some trouble or doubting thought comes and we are struggling with our direction as if God never spoke to us! The Israelites were constantly going back and forth, following God at one moment and then doubting the next moment. This is fickleness.
What is it that drives us to doubt? It’s fear. “What if I go the wrong direction? I’ll destroy myself!”
I do believe we should have a healthy acknowledgement that we are capable of destroying ourselves apart from Him! That's humility. But the Bible says: “Perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18).
What's encouraged me is: I have to just trust God. What's greater - my incapability or His ability? Trust in God's love and complete power to preserve you, despite yourself. That can delivers us from that fear - even if we get things wrong.
“A ship heading in the wrong direction can be turned around faster than one which is sitting stationary.”
There’s an element of faith and humility which glorifies God in, "I think this is the way, I may be wrong, but in that case I'll trust God." Like Paul said, "I think I have the Spirit" (1 Cor 7:40). “I believe this is the right way the Lord led me. I may be wrong. But if I am I will trust the Lord in His LOVE will turn things around."
BE BOLD
So if you are a genuine disciple of the Lord: pray the Lord will make you BOLD! Paul asked for prayer for the same thing for himself (Eph 6:20).
Disciples should have a boldness about them, based on what God's will is: "This the Lord's will, so I will run this direction full-bore and I won't turn back."
Seek the Lord, hear from Him - and then run that direction with all your might. This is what has been so freeing to myself in the middle of temptation to fickleness and doubt.
God has not given us the spirit of timidity.
BE WISE
But this word is for disciples who are determined to die to self for the sake of Christ, not for those who think they know the way already - to run their own direction. We must not be foolish - we have to be humble and recognize how blind we are to our own situation apart from God, because of our flesh and all its desires and self-will. This is why it's said of Jesus, "He will delight in the fear of the LORD, And He will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear" (Isaiah 11:3).
So seek wisdom (James 1:5), seek counsel, pray, get confirmation from Scripture and the Holy Spirit. A good principle that helped me in my life when I was young: "If you can find it plainly in Scripture and Biblical principles, then you are on solid ground. If not, you may just be going on a good idea."
Another thing is - if your spiritual authority (parents or elders) is resistant and has concerns about your direction or guiding you a certain way, you have to submit by taking that seriously (Eph 6:1, Heb 13:17). Because our flesh and self-will and human emotions can even twist our view of Scripture and what God’s will is (we see this in Peter rebuking Jesus for going to the cross thinking that was of God, or Uzzah touching the ark, or King Saul offering a burnt offering), that’s why spiritual authority is so critical, because there's a protection there for us and a guidance that God commanded in His Word that we sit under that authority.
But if you’ve done all this, and you have your direction - then: trust the Lord and go “all-in”, running boldly in that way which God led. Don’t stop running, constantly looking back. It’s a distraction from running the race after Jesus “all-in”. We can run free from fear, boldly going forward.
A person who is constantly looking back from doubt or fear will never run well, no matter how correct their direction is.
By God's grace, may we overcome fickleness and fear, and be full of faith, running the race with boldness, because of our confidence in Him.
“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:5-8 NASB1995