The general feeling among commentators is that Timothy was a frailer type in every way than the apostle Paul, who was more robust. Timothy had stomach problems (see 1 Timothy 5:23). He also tended toward timidity, maybe because he was younger and had older congregations who said things like, “Hey, hey, when I was twenty-five, you weren’t even born.”

Paul wrote to Timothy and said, “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:6–7, NIV).

This is a very important verse to me in the New Testament.

“The Spirit God gave us” is what makes us Christians—the Spirit living inside us. Jesus said, “You must be born again,” or “born of the Spirit” (John 3:7–8). If we have the Spirit of Christ—which God gives in response to our faith when we confess our sin and put our faith in Jesus Christ, who died for us and was raised from the dead—then we also have “the gift of God” within us.

So Paul was reminding the young pastor, “Come on, Timothy, fan into flame the gift of God.”

The Greek word for “timidity” means “cringing fear”—the opposite of boldness. God didn’t give us that. If we live in fear, we’re not living out of the Spirit God gave us. We’re living out of our complexes and our flesh. God has not given us a spirit of fear.

Some of the people who claim that they’re so filled with the Holy Spirit—I’ve been around them—they’re afraid of their shadows.

“No, but I speak in tongues.”

That’s good. That’s in the Bible (see 1 Corinthians 14:2).

“I know the Word, Pastor.”

That’s good too. But what good is it if you’re afraid of your own shadow? If you’re so afraid of what people think that you won’t witness? If you’re afraid of standing and shining your light as a Christian because you might be treated a little differently?

“They want me to serve in the evangelism ministry, but I might not know what to say. I’m afraid.”

That spirit doesn’t come from God. Will we be humble enough to admit that? If we’re living in fear, we’re not living Spirit-filled lives. It doesn’t matter if we were lifted to the third heaven and had lunch with the angels Gabriel and Michael.

Then what Spirit did God give us? He gave us a Spirit of “power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7). I want to talk about the first gift: power.

The word for “power,” dunamis, is where we get the word “dynamite.” It speaks of energy, ability, but not our own. It’s a power that comes from God.

Oh, you have a PhD? That’s good. But that won’t cut it for doing spiritual work. God doesn’t use degrees. He gives power to people—simple people, many times uneducated people.

The Spirit of God gives us power, ability, confidence in Him. Not self-confidence, not swagger, not boasting or conceit or self-reliance. No, it gives us a power like Jesus had.

Was Jesus strutting around and bragging about who He was? “Yo, everybody! Son of God here. Came from heaven.” No, He walked like a lamb (see Isaiah 53:7, John 1:29). But what power! Wouldn’t we like to live like that? Humble, meek, loving, kind like Jesus, but with God’s power.

You know when power shows up? When obstacles come. We don’t know power until we face a mountain. That’s when the good we have from God can be displayed.

When we’re on a mountaintop, like some of us are today, we can praise God for that mountaintop and His blessing. But on other days, when the mountaintop feels unbearable, we can’t fall apart and get fearful or anxious, like the sky is falling. No. “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4, KJV). “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13, NIV). That’s the Spirit God gave us.

So let’s examine ourselves, not just to see whether we’re in the faith (see 2 Corinthians 13:5) but to see if we are living in fear or in God’s power. May the Lord fill us to overflowing with His Spirit, who is not going to give us fear but is going to exhibit His power through our lives.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us Your Spirit of power instead of fear. Help us to step out boldly, trust Your strength through every mountain, and reflect Jesus in all we do. Fill us to overflowing so that Your power shines through our lives.

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