Paul wrote 2 Timothy as a personal letter to Timothy his son in the faith. He was a bit younger that Paul and had not only received a gift from God related to ministry but also learned ministry alongside of him. In the first verses, he reminds Timothy to keep aflame this gift he had received through his laying of hands. We have no idea what was going on in Timothy’s life. Maybe he was struggling to keep going in ministry. Maybe he was discouraged and fearful. After all, it wasn’t easy to be a Christian or a leader back then. There was a lot of opposition and persecution.
Paul wrote to Timothy:
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” (NIV)
Paul reminds Timothy that he shouldn’t give up using the gift God has given him. God has given him His Spirit to use it. And God’s Spirit does not make us fearful or timid. We can move forward and not be paralyzed with fear. If we are, it is not the Spirit’s doing. On the contrary, He gives us the power to carry out what He has called us to do no matter what circumstances we may be facing. We have his power available. He gives us love to love others. Loving people is not always easy but God’s Spirit helps us. And he gives us self-discipline which is not the same as being timid. The Spirit helps us keep us from tilting either to self-deprecation or self-sufficiency.
This was encouraging to me this morning, and I hope it is to you in whatever God has called you to do. It doesn’t have to be some formal church job. Your calling is where God has you, where you live, where you work and where ever you enjoy life.
