In 2 Thessalonians 2:2, Paul is warning the
believers there about things that would occur before
the coming of the Lord. He is trying to prepare them
(and us) so that these major events would not take
them off guard. So, he tells them “do not be quickly
shaken in mind or be troubled either by a spirit or
a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect
that the day of the Lord has come.”
He first says for them to not be quickly shaken.
The Greek word for shaken is saleuo which means to
waver, that is, agitate, rock, topple or (by implication) destroy; figuratively to disturb. The tense points to events
so dramatic that they could result in shock or alarm.
He then adds the word “mind.” The Greek here is
the word nous which means the intellect, that is, mind; in
thought, feeling, or will; by implication emotion: – mind,
understanding.
Whoever or whatever controls a person’s
mind has the power to dictate and control the affairs
and outcome of that person’s life. If a person allows
fear or anxiety to dominate his mind then that person’s life will be distressed and tumultuous. Paul then
adds emphasis by using the word troubled. The word
used here in Greek indicates an inward fright causing
one to be devoured by worry anxiety or fear.
Paul knows that these events will not be a onetime occurrence, so he uses a Greek tense that points
to an ongoing state of worry because these outward
events keep occurring time and time again. He
strongly urges us not to allow ourselves to be shaken
or moved by anything we see or hear. There are many
things that have happened this year that have the potential to really mess with our minds. Instead of letting these things get to us and rob us of our joy,
peace, and victory, we need to be firmly rooted in our
faith in our God and His promises.
By looking around we can see the “last days”
unfolding around us. Because of the many situations
our generation is facing, it is imperative that we take a
stand in faith against fear and worry. To do that
means we must keep focused on the Word of God.
When we look to the Word we see another
verse in Colossians 3:15 admonishing us to “let the
peace of God rule in your hearts…” Verse 16 goes on
with “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…”
When the word of Christ dwells in our lives it produces a peace that rules our hearts.
There is no doubt that we are living in the
“last days.” We have and will experience events that
no other generation has ever seen. If you are going to
keep your heart free from fear and worry then you
must make a firm commitment to let God’s Word
rule your heart! God’s Word will protect your mind
and prohibit fear and worry from worming into your
emotions to ruin your life. Christ has set us free.
Don’t let these worldly things take the freedom and
joy from your life. I urge you to make God’s Word the foundation on which your life is built.
