I Invite you to read the passage first.
Today, we are getting quite adept to care for our physical health. We can learn the signs of trouble. We have devices we can wear that will monitor our health.
We come to church because of our need for spiritual health. We cannot easily analyze our spiritual vital signs. So, if God remains unchanging and gracious, how do we check our human tendencies to wander and be less than gracious ourselves? How do we guard the faith that our mothers and grandmothers taught us? How do we detect glitches in our spiritual health? Our tendency to carry bad spiritual habits and to ignore vital signs of the soul remains as ancient as God's grace.
Paul offers a few suggestions.
The "gift of God" must be "rekindled." The verb used here is a metaphor for building up a dying fire. Though Timothy's faith is not specifically accused of "dying," Paul does urge him now to fan up his special "gift" into strong, unquenchable flames. This "gift" is not faith itself, but is the "gift of God" Timothy received when he was called to ministry. The attributes of this "spirit" are ones Paul routinely assigns to the Holy Spirit - "power," "love" and "self-discipline" or "sound-mindedness." In the face of the hardships that will confront Timothy, God has given to him the Holy Spirit, not a spirit of cowardice. This negative reference is stronger than mere "timidity." The term Paul uses often occurs in battle contexts to describe unmasked terror in the face of difficulties.
Paul feels the need to “remind” Timothy. What is he forgetting?
Paul offers his services as a personal trainer, of sorts, throughout his letters. Through his example, Paul reminds Timothy that spiritual leadership means connecting to people, inspiring people toward the life-changes they need to make, teaching with power, and mentoring people in kingdom living. Given the battles that Paul had within the church, one could understand if church experiences might have depressed him. Yet, he continually held up Christian community as the place where we would receive the spiritual enrichment and guidance we need.
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