26 January 2019 - power, love, and self-control

Saint Timothy - with deference to Saint Titus, a publicly licensed image of whom I could not find.

Today's Readings

(Audio)

Let's begin with a quick inventory. How much power, love, and self-control do we feel that we have right now? Have their recently been tasks which seemed too hard because we didn't feel strong enough? Similarly, has the choice to love seemed too hard to make? Maybe putting others before ourselves seemed too hard. Or maybe we just found some people too unlovable and couldn't stretch ourselves that far. What temptations have overwhelmed us because we simply couldn't resist?

For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice
but rather of power and love and self-control.

Whenever we fail at love, at living from the strength God gives us, or at controlling ourselves, we are succumbing to a lie about ourselves. We are believing what the enemy says about us and not what God tells us through Scripture. In truth, we have received the Holy Spirit of God and have all of the fruits he offers. But because we forget we need the advice of Paul to Timothy:

For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame
the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.

We may well wonder how to do this. But look at the verb stir or fan into flame. We are told to get the embers moving and breathing. We are to work with what we do have in order that greater flames might be ignited. If there is a song of praise that makes us confidence, let's begin with that song and see how we can naturally spread out from there. If there is a prayer that helps us to love or to resist temptation let's really put it to use! If we follow Jesus there must at least be embers. Let's find them and fire them up and see what catches fire nearby.

Fanning the Spirit within us into flames is how we can take our place as laborers for the harvest. When the flames are burning we don't need to rely on our own money bag, sack or sandals. We don't need to fear rejection or worry about having our preferences met. The Holy Spirit burning in our hearts will be enough.

Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
'The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.'