"Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
2 Timothy 1:6-7
Stir up here means to rekindle or revive. Here, Paul is asking Timothy, and God is asking us, to remember the gifts of God that we have been given, and to revive them, and use them. Often, we hold back in our lives. We reserve our charity, our compassion, our love just for our immediate families and our friends. We're afraid of the risk of going further than that. We're often afraid of resistance, of rejection, or of mockery of those things that we love and believe. It's often difficult to reach out beyond our circle of comfort... precisely because it is uncomfortable.
God, however, has not given us this spirit of fear. He blesses us with power, and love, and a sound mind. :) I think that sound mind part is partly so that we can realize that someone else wants us to fear, and it isn't him. Let's reject the fear that the destroyer tempts us to feel, and let's go forward in the power of God, to love the people around us, and the people far from us. Let's recognize the children of God in all nations as our brothers and sisters... the sons and daughters of God. Let's do what we can, near and far, but most of all, let's change the way we think about others. Let's not think of them as foreigners and outsiders and as scary. Let's see them as God sees them, and help them, as he would.
Today, let's stir up and use the gifts and power that God has given us to love better, and to improve the world. Let's lift us the hands that hang down, strengthen the feeble knees, and bring hope and light to those in need, wherever we are, and wherever our influence can reach.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
2 Timothy 1:6-7
Stir up here means to rekindle or revive. Here, Paul is asking Timothy, and God is asking us, to remember the gifts of God that we have been given, and to revive them, and use them. Often, we hold back in our lives. We reserve our charity, our compassion, our love just for our immediate families and our friends. We're afraid of the risk of going further than that. We're often afraid of resistance, of rejection, or of mockery of those things that we love and believe. It's often difficult to reach out beyond our circle of comfort... precisely because it is uncomfortable.
God, however, has not given us this spirit of fear. He blesses us with power, and love, and a sound mind. :) I think that sound mind part is partly so that we can realize that someone else wants us to fear, and it isn't him. Let's reject the fear that the destroyer tempts us to feel, and let's go forward in the power of God, to love the people around us, and the people far from us. Let's recognize the children of God in all nations as our brothers and sisters... the sons and daughters of God. Let's do what we can, near and far, but most of all, let's change the way we think about others. Let's not think of them as foreigners and outsiders and as scary. Let's see them as God sees them, and help them, as he would.
Today, let's stir up and use the gifts and power that God has given us to love better, and to improve the world. Let's lift us the hands that hang down, strengthen the feeble knees, and bring hope and light to those in need, wherever we are, and wherever our influence can reach.
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