For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (NKJV).
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. (NLT).
The other day I was going about my chores and felt that the person I was serving was intentionally trying to intimidate me with implied criticism and forbidding pressure. My immediate response was recalling my old reliable pictures of two dogs – one dog with tail between his legs and the other with tail curled above his back and wagging. I set my psychological heels in immediately and adamantly refused to become the intimidated dog. I will not be bullied by whatever form. The “happy dog principle” is a vignette that I have grown to use now all the time. Let the world fling at me what it will, it will not get me to become the cowering, intimidated dog. I will always be the dog with tail up and wagging no matter what intimidation ploys are viciously applied.
I was later talking with a friend and briefly alluded to the incident without mentioning a specific person. Being a wonderful Christian with unsurpassed intelligence and an alert mind, she immediately recalled the verse quoted above (2 Timothy 1:7). I include two versions here because I like both. A “sound mind” (as my friend remembered it) suggests to me a mind not undercut and eroded by controversy, but one steady and sane throughout. This can also be related to self-discipline. In this verse, I like the way in which fear and timidity are offset by immeasurably sturdy transcendental power and love. It is been said that “A leader never lets adversity get him down – except on his knees” (--Jim Williams). The preferable response is one filled with abiding grace and cheer giving the other side little satisfaction that their attempted intimidation is having any intended disintegrating effects on your behavior or character.
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