Not Timid

2 Timothy 1:7 (CEB) · Passing the Flame

“God didn’t give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving, and self-controlled.” — 2 Timothy 1:7 (CEB)

Paul does not say Timothy was wrong to feel afraid. He simply says fear is not the Spirit God gave you. The Spirit God gave you is made of three things, all together: power, love, self-control.

Notice the combination. Power without love becomes violence. Love without self-control collapses into sentimentality. Self-control without love becomes rigid religion. The three belong together, braided. The Spirit of God is not aggressive, not soft, not stiff. The Spirit is steady. Warm. Disciplined.

When we step into a conversation we would rather avoid, or show up for a person who asks a lot of us, we often discover we have more of this Spirit than we assumed. The gift shows up in the using.

Where have you been calling yourself timid when the Spirit has given you something else?

Spirit of power, love, and self-control, grow us into the courage you’ve already placed inside us. Let timidity be the old story, not the next chapter. Amen.