“For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.”
2 Timothy 1:6-7
From this chapter in the Bible it seems that Timothy might have been going through a difficult time. And his spiritual father Paul is encouraging him to ignite once again the fire of God that he received initially. He reminds Timothy of the faith that is in his family from his grandmother and mother, the faith of the gospel which was transferred to him. Many of us are in similar situations where our forefathers gave us the beginnings of faith and they helped nurtured us. Or perhaps you did not have a faith upbringing but God did use people to transfer the faith to you.
When we believed in the Lord and accepted Jesus's Lordship into our hearts who or what did we receive within us? It is the power of God, the gift of the Holy Spirit that we received! Timothy is being charged by Paul to rekindle (also means to stir up/ resuscitate/ ignite or set on fire again) the power of God received in him.
Do we not all have the Holy Spirit in us? Aren't we the temple of the Holy Spirit? Then let us also rekindle the fire. The Spirit we have is not a spirit from the world! The spirit from the world gives fear, anxiety, lust of the flesh, confusion and every ideology against God. But the Holy Spirit gives us courage, boldness, self discipline, sound mind, the love of God and the power of God.
How then do we stir up the gift in us? In the natural if we were to turn a candle fire into bonfire or wildfire what would you do? You need fuel that needs to be added into the smaller fire so that it grows into a giant. Likewise what ignites our Spirit is spiritual food. The word of God, prayer, the presence of Jesus and holy sacraments are our fire that keeps us burning. Practice these continually and set ablaze our hearts for Jesus!
Amen!
MEDITATE/KNOW/IMAGINE CONSTANTLY - I will stir up the gift of God in me
