In February of this year, the world was blissfully unaware that by March, people around the world would be afraid to do simple social activities like getting haircuts or attending church services or going out to dinner at a restaurant. And that the fear would last for who knows how long. And that by May, a black man would be murdered senselessly and cold-bloodedly by a white policeman for no apparent reason other than the color of his skin. And that the murder would set into motion peaceful protests about systemic racism. And that some hooligans and troublemakers would turn those peaceful protests into rioting and mayhem in a lot of cities in the country. It’s enough to make us all afraid for the future. But have courage!
Courage isn’t about having no fear. It’s about being afraid and doing what needs to be done anyway. We all have fears. We can fear loss or failure. We can fear death. We can fear rejection or criticism. We can fear uncertainty. We can fear heights. We can fear others because of the color of their skin. We can fear many things about life. Paul reminds us that our task is to acknowledge the fears, and then to run past them with the courage of the Holy Spirit and do what needs to be done. How timely Paul’s message to Timothy is for us today!
G K Chesterton once wrote, “Christianity has not failed; it has not even been tried.” This is kind of what Paul was saying when he wrote to Timothy and told him to “stir into flame” the gift of the Spirit which had been given to him when Paul laid his hands on him. Maybe Timothy, hearing that Paul was imprisoned because of his preaching, hesitated to be a public witness, and wanted to withdraw from ministry because he didn’t want to be ridiculed or end up in prison because of his faith in Christ. Timothy probably needed Paul’s encouragement to be bold rather than allowing fears to control his life. Avoiding ridicule is a strong temptation we all face. Who wants to be embarrassed or humiliated in front of others? Paul told Timothy to overcome this fear by reminding him of the gifts of power, love, and self-control that the Holy Spirit had implanted in his heart. The gifts of the Spirit can lie dormant unless we exercise them regularly and make them an active element in our lives. Paul knew that Timothy would be an effective witness to the Resurrection of Christ if he would just move through his fears. Notice, Paul didn’t tell Timothy to deny his fears, but to move courageously through them. (2 Timothy 1:1-3, 6-12)
Maya Angelou likens the process of developing courage to exercising and strengthening a muscle: “I don’t believe anyone is born with courage. You develop it in small ways.” The gifts of the Spirit can lie dormant unless we exercise them regularly and make them an active dynamic in our lives.
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