December 22, 2024
2 Timothy 1:6-7
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, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Whether the threat is real or imagined, physical or mental, near-at-hand or somewhere out there, our fears exert a powerful influence over us. Fears can drive us inward and downward, deeper into ourselves, rather than upward and outward towards God. When
we are caught in the grip of our fears, the temptation will always be to look to our own resources to save ourselves. Self-dependence comes naturally. God-dependence does not. This is precisely why Paul writes: to speak a steadying gospel word to his struggling
co-worker Timothy.
The name Timothy means “God-fearer.” He had been raised by a Christian mother, mentored by the Apostle Paul, with more than a decade of intense ministry experience under his belt, we might
assume Timothy to be a fearless, a fierce veteran. Instead, what we get from this "God-fearer" is a seasoned pastor wrestling with his own anxieties and fears; uncertain and unsettled about next steps.
We need to recognize that the dangers Timothy faced in Ephesus were real, not imagined. Ephesus had a history of resistance to gospel messangers. Whether it was fierce resistance by the Jews (Acts 19:9), demons overpowering exorcists (Acts 19:16), or violent rioting in the streets (Acts 19:21-41), Ephesus was a tough calling, not a place we might say, for the "faint of heart".
Instead of a spirit of fear, says Paul, God has given us a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind (self-control). Timothy needed the counsel of the Apostle to remind him that God has given us a stronger spirit, than the spirit of fear. Perfect love, which casts out all fear (1 John 4:18), was displayed most fully at the cross, where Jesus died in victory, at the cross Jesus broke "the power of cancelled sin and set the captive free", as Charles Wesley's hymn says. In his resurrection, Jesus defeated death.
Through Jesus, we have this Power at work in us. The word "power" comes from the Greek "dynamis", from which we get the English word for dynamite. This power given to Jesus followers blasts the insecurities that threaten us. I think of the words from 1 John 4:4 "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” And a sound mind/self control comes from the peace of a healed relationship with the Prince of Peace, God himself.
That is a reminder for us today, we are God's beloved people, so let us fan into flame the gift of God.
Almighty God,
direct my gaze away from my own resources and
toward the all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
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