2 Timothy 1:1-14

Thoughts: “Fan into flame the gift of God that is in you,” wrote Saint Paul to his beloved co-worker, Timothy. In each of us God has placed a gift. But, like coals burning under the ashes, sometimes God’s gift remains hidden. The challenge is to reveal it.
By praying, we can begin to discern the gift God has placed in us. In the silence of our heart, we discover that all God asks us is to welcome the gift of his love.
But it is also true that others can awaken the gift of God in us. When we look at ourselves, it can happen that we only see what we lack. That leads to discouragement. When someone looks at us with trust, it can transform us. That is how Timothy discovered his vocation. He was young  and rather timid when he began to work with Paul. In spite of that, because of Paul’s trust in him, Timothy was able to go further than he could imagine. He went so far that he became a real support for Paul when he was in prison.
God himself is the one who awakens God’s gift in us. God believes in our humanity. He trusts us for what we are. God himself has given us “a spirit of strength, love and self-control”.But each gift involves a call. Now Timothy is called to give his life for the Gospel. He will be able to do it if, together with those who went before him, he places his trust in God’s power. God’s power is the resurrection, which causes life to shine out in suffering and which gives us the inner strength to dare to give our life for others

Discussion:  Who has been a support for me in the course of my journey? How do I understand these words: “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of strength, love and self-control”?
 
Activity: How can I awaken God’s gift in me