God Did Not Give Us a Spirit of Cowardice — 2 Timothy 1:7

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God Did Not Give us a Spirit of Cowardice — 2 Timothy 1:7

7 For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. 8 So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for His sake; but bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God.
—2 Timothy 1:7-8

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God Did Not Give us a Spirit of Cowardice — 2 Timothy 1:7

Our Lord did not die on a cross to leave us with a spirit of cowardice — of fear, worry and stress. Rather, Christ’s resurrection has left us with the greatest gift to behold: a Spirit of power, love and self control in every situation (see Jn 16:7). Make note however, that it is He — your Father in Heaven — who gives you these things; this power. We can do nothing of significance apart from Him (not for long anyway) … but with Him we can do all things with lasting impact.

So then, be obedient to St. Timothy’s exhortation today. Do not be afraid or ashamed of your praise for the Lord. Be courageous in your testimony for Him. Do not shy from telling others about your faith, the Good News, and your witness of Christ’s victory in your life. Even in the midst of hardship, we can count on the work of the Holy Spirit to grant us the strength and fortitude needed to carry out His will. Moreover, your declaration of faith (and subsequent actions) will not only secure your blessings here and merits hereafter … but will inspire someone else’s as well. And that is what God is after.

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Prayer for the Day

“Thank You, Jesus, for strengthening us with the power of the Holy Spirit. We fully and humbly recognize that we can do no good thing without You; and we pray to fulfill Your will for our lives. Give us the courage to evangelize in the way You have desired as we promise to remain bold in Your Name. We will not be ashamed of the Gospel message, our witness of You, or of our testimony. Thank You for giving us a Spirit of power, love and self-control to accomplish all You’ve called us to do. It is in Your good and Holy Name we pray, Amen.”