The Spirit God gave us does not make us timid
2 Timothy 1:7 - Are you being bold with the gifts God has given you, or are you allowing personal fears to keep you from doing His work?
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“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
2 Timothy 1:7 NIV
Paul’s second letter to Timothy is filled with advice from the older Apostle to his younger friend and student. In this first chapter of this short letter, Paul begins with sincere greetings and remembrances, particularly of Timothy’s mother Eunice and grandmother Lois, who were both early and faithful followers of Jesus during Paul’s first visits to the Lycaonian city of Lystra.
In the verse just before this, Paul begins to exhort his younger friend to be bold in his faith. Paul does this a lot in his letters to Timothy, which gives us a clue that Timothy must have been somewhat timid in the face of his huge responsibilities as the overseer of God’s work in Ephesus and the surrounding area. In fact, Paul tells Timothy to be bold, to not avoid confrontation, to be strong, and to stand up for the Christian community when needed a total of at least 25 times in his two letters!
Paul reminds Timothy to “fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1:6). It’s not as if Timothy is lacking God’s gifts of leadership, faith, and the ability to preach the Gospel; he’s apparently just not using those gifts to the best of his abilities. Timothy had received these gifts not only through the profound faith nurtured in him by his mother and grandmother, but also through having Paul pray with him — hands-on — and therefore receive the spiritual gifts from God. Remember that Paul himself received God’s gifts from Ananias in a similar way in Acts 9:17.
Perhaps Timothy was just experiencing what we would refer to as “job burnout” at this point, having a lot of responsibilities in the face of persecution. So Paul reminds Timothy of his special gift, and that it “gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
Paul saw Timothy’s tendency to be timid, and Timothy no doubt felt fear and anxiety, Paul told him that the fear he felt wasn’t from God. Maybe it was just a trait of Timothy’s personality, or perhaps a demonic attack, but it wasn’t God that was making him feel anxious.
What God had given Timothy was a “spirit of power, love and self-discipline.” God supports all of His children with His power when we do His work, represent His kingdom, and proclaim His word. The spirit of power expresses itself in how much we can love and serve others. Jesus is the perfect example of this, loving humanity to the point of sacrificing Himself, but also humbly showing His love and setting an example of serving others by washing the feet of the disciples at the Last Supper.
God also gives His people self-discipline. Perhaps Timothy had shown confusion and panic in fearful situations; that’s a normal human response. Paul was reminding Timothy that God’s gift should give him a calm and self-controlled mind.
In his Enduring Word commentary, David Guzik says this:
Not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love: We don’t need to accept what God has not given us (a spirit of fear), and we do need to humbly receive and walk in what He has given us (a spirit… of power and of love and of a sound mind).
i. Paul wrote this to Timothy because boldness matters; without it, we can’t fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. God’s purpose for us is more than making money, being entertained, and being comfortable; it is for each of us to use the gifts He gives to touch His people and help a needy world.
ii. Fear and timidity will keep us from using the gifts God gives. God wants us each to take His power, His love, and His calm thinking and overcome fear, to be used of Him with all the gifts He gives.
Applying the lesson of Paul’s letter to Timothy, ask yourself this question: Are you being bold with the gifts God has given you, or are you allowing personal fears to keep you from doing His work?
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Father in heaven, I thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit, for my life in Christ, and for the spirit of power, love, and self-discipline you have given me. May I use these gifts to Your praise and honor, even in the face of ridicule, persecution, and even death in this hostile world. I pray that my faith may forever grow so I may show boldness in proclaiming Your Word and helping to build Your kingdom. AMEN.