I am 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 the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:5-7

Paul encourages Timothy to rely on God’s Spirit to give him power, love and self-discipline, something Timothy is responsible for fanning into flame but something for which no person can claim origin. In other words, you need God for power, and love and for self-discipline.

So don’t try to work up enough power to push through on your own, let God move you. Don’t try to gin up affection and care but be a vessel for God’s universal compassion. And, perhaps most counter-intuitively of all, don’t control yourself–stay with me here–but remain in control by submitting to God’s guidance. Here’s the thing: you don’t need to keep swerving back onto the road if you never lose focus on the destination.

But what is that power, love and self-discipline for?

So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

2 Timothy 1:8-10

Bearing the burden of being a prisoner for the Lord, whether in actual fact as Paul was, or in the Spirit as Timothy was to be. The grace that was given to us was to remove the Spiritual burden of sin and the Spirit itself was provided to carry out the works of the Spirit.

Did you notice something? Paul said Timothy was to fan into flame the power of God, and then that by the power of God he would join Paul in suffering for the Gospel. God not only provided the task by his power, but also provided the power to finish it successfully! Don’t miss out on the chance to do exactly what God wants just because you can’t believe he wants you to succeed. No plan of God ever fails, we just fail to understand it.

Ethan Kirl