The Secret to Boldness

2 Timothy 1:3-7 -  I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.  Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.  I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.  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 did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Sweet Paul…homesick for his friends…struggling to maintain his sanity in a small prison cell…probably sensing he was close to his death…he pens this encouraging letter to Timothy.  The older… wiser… worldwide traveler… evangelist to thousands…. described for Timothy how he was able to stay focused on God through the many trials and constant persecution he had met in his many years on the Earth. He tells him to ‘fan into flame the gift of God.’ He tells us to be confident in our faith.

 God knew we would all need to read this letter…so he made sure it was included in the books of his Holy Bible.  This letter to Timothy…written to help him stay strong…to stay focused on the Lord for strength and power….to learn to be bold and confident in our faith.  Paul knew the secret…the intimate relationship he had built with God gave him strength beyond our human understanding. 

Timothy’s world was much like ours…decaying morally…sin soaked…people seeking happiness in drugs or alcohol.  People running away from the church…making excuses and justifying their anger and abusive actions toward others.  Crime and illegal activities at an all time high…pornography and lust tearing apart families.  Most of us build protective shells around the small plot of world that we move about in…building a fire that supports just our immediate families…protecting ourselves and our loved ones from ever experiencing the hurt and evil around us….never venturing out to see how we can help those around us free themselves from Satan’s grip…never taking the love God gave us to the ones who have never known his love.

Paul tells us how  break out of this protective wall…to be evangelists and proclaim God’s love and power and wash our nation clean…to revive this land steeped in hate and immoral activities. He says to give thanks…give thanks for the ones who are brave…like Timothy…to pray for those who have helped us grow.  He says to ponder the great memories of our upbringing…to carry on the faith that was instilled in us from our family or friends.   He tells us to encourage one another….to help each other grow in knowledge and wisdom.  He says to be bold…not to fear the world…but to have confidence that our faith in God is stronger than any evil around us.  He tells us to fan into flame the small ember we all hold in our hearts…to allow a fire to burn in our hearts for others.  He says to let the Holy Spirit guard the truth …the salvation that God deposited in our heart.

Father…thank you for the wonderful friends and church that have been there for me and helped me to wake up…helped me to see that building a relationship with you is what gives me the power to grow and be strong.  Thank you for tearing down my protective wall and opening my eyes to the world around me.  Help me to thirst more and more for the wisdom and knowledge you had recorded for me to live by. Give me the confidence and wisdom to know how I can fan into flame the gift that you have placed in me…and use it to help others around me. Deepen my prayers father…show me how to really pray for strength and power and wisdom.  Give me a spirit of discernment..to help me know who and how you have equipped me to help.  Fill me anew with your Holy Spirit each morning so that I can be all that you intend for me to be. Amen.