Lift Up Your Head Fisherman
Does a particular verse that you come across ever really stick with you, and keep coming back up in different ways as you go through day to day life? That has been the case for me this summer with 2 Timothy 1:7. It says “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” This short simple verse speaks volumes to me about the perspective, outlook, and worldview that God wants to make possible for us. I also feel a personal connection to this scripture. Let’s explore how Paul’s words to Timothy still ring powerfully true today.
This verse stuck in my mind from when I first read it as part of a devotional plan on the Bible app. At first I think I gravitated to the simple yet profound practical advice that Paul gives. It wasn’t until I tied it to a conversation that I was having that it took on more personal meaning to me. A well meaning friend was pointing out that I tend to keep my head bowed a lot, and I would come across much more confident if I would look up. This wasn’t news to me, as a totally blind person I don’t have the visual incentive to be looking up to see what’s in front of me. Old habits die hard, and I always found it annoying when my parents or whoever else would try to encourage me to make this change. It was a lightbulb moment for me though, tying the concept of looking up to the spirit of power, love, and self-discipline that God wants us to embody. I desire to display that type of confidence, not in myself, but in the almighty God who knows, loves, and empowers me. I still have a long way to go in remembering to lift up my face, and the habit is still strong, but I have new spiritual motivation to work on it. I always find it so cool when God puts things on our minds and continually ties it back to our lives to teach us about him and his ways.
God wasn’t done fleshing out this lesson for me though. I’ve been watching the series The Chosen, which I highly recommend checking out if you haven’t already. A lot of the episodes and scenes are great, but I found another connection to 2 Timothy 1:7 in the miracle of the fish scene in season 1 episode 4. We see Simon down to rock bottom. He owes a tax debt to Rome that he can’t pay. If that isn’t bad enough, he’s struggling with having committed to the Romans that he will turn in his Jewish brothers for fishing on Shabbat in order to have his debts canceled. It’s a lose lose situation for him. He’s at the end of his rope, questioning God, and wants nothing to do with his brother’s news of having seen The Lamb of God. As he’s known to do in a hopeless situation in which we have reached the end of our abilities, God showed up. The unbelievable catch that Jesus delivered was powerful enough, but the conversation that took place afterward touched me more.
In a very relatable move, Simon regrets questioning God and his own lack of faith immediately after the miracle of the fish. Realizing that Jesus is, of course, truly The Lamb of God as Andrew tried to tell him, Simon is humbled, apologizing, and imploring Jesus to depart from him. Surely if Jesus only knew his sins, lack of faith, and all his self reliant ways, Jesus would have no use for him. It is just a television show of course, but the simple yet powerfully profound portrayal of the response of Jesus seems very plausible to me. His words “Don’t be afraid Simon,” and “Lift up your head fisherman,” convey so much. You think I don’t know you? What you’ve done? Am I not powerful enough to use you anyway? Love you in spite of yourself? To change you for the better? See Jesus knew that Simon was passionate, devoted, and people looked up to him, even if he was a bit overzealous and misguided at times.
Can we not relate to Simon? We’ve messed up royally, pathetically lacked faith, and struggled with doubt. Maybe even right in the face of Jesus and directly proceeding our breakthrough as Simon did. . I know that has been my situation at times at least. It can be so easy to feel inadequate when we see God show up in our lives and want to use us. I think that’s okay in a sense, because in our own power we are wholly inadequate. Its in realizing this and embracing what Jesus wants to add to our equation that we can begin to find who we are called to be. The character of Simon in The Chosen begins to come around when he promises to do anything Jesus asks, and the response is simply “Follow me,” to which he agrees.
In conclusion let’s get back to scripture. The context around 2 Timothy 1:7 is Paul encouraging Timothy to be bold in using his spiritual gifts and not ashamed in telling people about “our Lord.” I think that same message can be so pertinent to myself and many others today. God wants us to be confident, not in and through ourselves, but in the spirit He gives us: the spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. What might that look like for you? Keeping my head up to convey more confidence is a small physical reminder for me of the spirit God wants to give me, but it needs to go deeper than that. I know that I need to be bold in using any platform that I may have for his glory. Following Jesus, as Simon agreed to do and so should we as Christians, means submitting our lives to Him and his ways and trusting that he will provide all that we need in order to glorify Him. Matthew 6:33.
