A scene from the 2018 film Samson led me to reflect on God-given courage and the Spirit’s power. That reflection met a very personal fear: driving. This testimony follows my first frightened attempt, a five-minute victory and the day I finally trusted God enough to take a different route to my daughter’s school.
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
A Film, a Sick Child and a Timely Lesson
It began while I was browsing YouTube for a family-friendly movie to watch with my sick eight-year-old. I do not believe it was by chance that I found the Pure Flix film Samson. The picture was clear, the story held my attention and one scene especially moved me: Samson facing the Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey.
Watching Samson pray and ask the Most High for strength to defend himself was empowering. It led me to think about the Spirit of God and the courage available to born-again believers—those who confess Jesus as Lord, believe that God raised Him from the dead and follow Him in faith.
(reflecting how when we encounter issues in life that feels like a thousand attacks we must not give up)
What Samson’s Strength Means—and Does Not Mean
Judges records that “the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon” Samson before he defeated one thousand Philistines with the donkey’s jawbone (Judges 15:14–17). The New Testament teaches that the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in believers (Romans 8:11).
This does not mean that every believer is promised Samson’s physical strength or assignment. God gives different gifts and callings. The application I drew was spiritual and personal: when fear and weakness feel like a thousand attacks, I can ask God for the courage, wisdom, knowledge and strength needed to obey Him—always within His will.
The film is a dramatic interpretation. Scripture should remain the authority for Samson’s story. His violent conflict belongs to Israel’s historical narrative in Judges; my devotional application concerns overcoming fear and weakness, not harming people or treating others as enemies.
When Faith Had to Move Into Action
The movie made me think about my own doubt that God would keep me safe while I drove. Two years earlier, I had been bound by fear of driving. Eventually, I understood the Lord to be telling me that it was time to practise my faith through action.
At first, I was terrified. I walked around the car and prayed over it. Then I opened the driver’s door, sat behind the black steering wheel and reached with my right hand to turn the key. My heart seemed to beat in the middle of my collarbone, and I could feel my necklace rising and sinking with every beat.
I cowered and pleaded with my husband to drive. He watched my every move and then relieved me of the task. I moved to the passenger seat feeling defeated and guilty because I had not completed what I believed the Holy Spirit had instructed me to do.
The Five-Minute Victory
The next time I tried, I drove out. My husband was beside me in the passenger seat, and the drive lasted only five minutes, but I felt confident and happy that I had listened and taken the step.
The verse that helped me move outside my comfort zone was 2 Timothy 1:7. Its exact wording redirected my attention: God had not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. Courage did not require me to feel nothing. It required me to act with love, clear thinking and self-control even while fear was present.
My first victory was not a long or dramatic journey. It was a supported five-minute drive. That small act became evidence that fear did not have to make every decision for me.
Taking the Different Route
Two days before writing the original testimony, I finally decided to use my husband’s route when taking our daughter to school. Before starting, I prayed and asked the Lord for strength and courage. I searched within myself for doubt and found none. As I pictured the road I was supposed to take, I understood the Holy Spirit to be telling me that it was time to obey, move forward and try the path that still felt frightening to my flesh.
This felt like the fourth or fifth time I had received the same prompting. On earlier school drives, the alternative road would come to mind, but I would plead in my heart that I was not ready and would take the route I considered easier.
After immersing myself in God’s Word in many forms—watching Samson, reading about women God used, praying and studying the Bible—I finally felt ready. I believed that the Spirit who empowers God’s people was with me. I did not want fear to keep me from obeying, and I trusted that God would not abandon me.
I drove the route shown to me and discovered that it was easier than my normal route. There were no roundabouts, it was quicker and it used less fuel. The path I had feared turned out to be the simpler one.
Remembering What God Has Done
Reflecting on Samson reminded me that God used imperfect people. They had flaws, suffered consequences, repented and continued learning obedience. Their stories show that the power belonged to God, not to human perfection.
The Bible records many extraordinary works of God:
- Samson was empowered against the Philistines (Judges 15:14–17).
- Elisha prayed and the Syrian army was struck with blindness (2 Kings 6:15–23).
- David defeated Goliath with a sling and a stone (1 Samuel 17:45–50).
- Esther found favour with the king and interceded for her people (Esther 5:1–8).
- God caused an iron axe head to float through Elisha (2 Kings 6:1–7).
- The Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away and he was later found at Azotus (Acts 8:39–40).
- Jesus and His disciples healed the sick, confronted demons and raised the dead in the biblical accounts.
- Jesus walked on water, and Peter also walked toward Him until fear and doubt overtook his focus (Matthew 14:22–33).
These are biblical miracle accounts, not techniques that people can command at will. They point to God’s authority and to His freedom to work according to His purposes.
In 2 Kings 6, Elisha sees that God’s heavenly army is present and then prays to the LORD concerning the Syrians. The text says that the LORD struck them with blindness according to Elisha’s prayer. The power and command ultimately belong to God.
Faith, Courage and Wise Action
Prayer helped me confront fear, but faith did not remove the need for wise driving. Courage on the road must still include proper licensing, attention, road rules, safe speed and support while building confidence. A perceived spiritual prompting should never be used to override safety or place other road users at risk.
For someone whose driving fear is severe or persistent, a calm supervising driver, a qualified driving instructor or appropriate professional support may be part of the answer. Small and safe steps are not a failure of faith; they can be the practical works through which confidence grows.
The road I feared was ultimately the easier road. The deepest victory was not simply learning a new route; it was discovering that obedience could be practised one safe step at a time. My first step lasted five minutes. Later, that small beginning helped me face a larger decision with power, love and a sound mind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 2 Timothy 1:7 teach about fear?
The verse contrasts a spirit of fear with power, love and a sound mind. It does not necessarily mean believers will never feel afraid; it teaches that fear does not have to rule their choices or silence the gifts God has given them.
Do Christians receive the same physical strength as Samson?
Scripture does not promise every believer Samson’s physical strength or calling. Believers receive the Holy Spirit, but the Spirit distributes different gifts and empowers people for different assignments according to God’s will.
How can faith help when driving feels frightening?
Faith may support prayer, calm thinking and the willingness to take a safe next step. Practical help also matters: practise with a suitable supervisor or instructor, begin with manageable routes and follow every road-safety requirement.
Is the alternative route presented as a command for everyone?
No. This is Anna Towan’s personal testimony about what she understood as the Holy Spirit’s prompting in her circumstances. Readers should not treat another person’s experience as a substitute for Scripture, wisdom, safety or their own responsible discernment.
Sources and Further Reading
- Judges 13–16 — the biblical account of Samson
- 2 Timothy 1:6–8 — power, love and a sound mind
- Romans 8:9–11 and 1 Corinthians 12:3–11 — the Spirit dwelling in believers and distributing gifts
- 2 Kings 6:1–23 — the floating axe head, heavenly army and blinded Syrians
- Acts 8:39–40, John 14:11–14 and Matthew 14:22–33
- Samson — official trailer, Pure Flix, 2018
This testimony records how the story of Samson, 2 Timothy 1:7 and repeated small acts of obedience helped Anna Towan (Ms AM) confront her fear of driving. It preserves the personal experience while distinguishing the biblical text, the film’s dramatic portrayal and the practical responsibilities of safe driving.
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