Tuesday - A Scared Soldier

2 Timothy 1:6–8 – Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. 7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.

2 Timothy 4:1–5 – 1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

Second Timothy is the Apostle Paul's last letter. It's his farewell, his last will and testament. And he wrote it to one specific person.

"But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." — 2 Timothy 4:5

This is one of the things I love about the King James Bible. In modern English, "you" can mean one person or a whole room full of people. But the King James makes the difference clear. Thee and thou mean one person. Ye and you mean more than one.

When Paul says "watch thou," he's not talking to people in general. He's talking to Timothy — his protégé, his "dearly beloved son" in the faith (2 Timothy 1:2).

The last words of a seasoned soldier to a scared soldier.

Timothy was young. He was timid, somewhat inexperienced, and he struggled with confidence. He was pastoring people much older than him. Persecution was pressing in from the outside. His authority may have been undermined on the inside. And now he was about to lose his mentor.

That's why Paul reminded him that God hadn't given him "the spirit of fear." In the verse before, Paul told him to stir up the gift God had given him for ministry. In the verse after, he told him not to be ashamed of the Lord. Timothy was fearful of doing what God had given him to do.

Then in chapter 4, Paul handed him a charge: Preach the word. Be instant in season and out of season. Reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and doctrine. Watch in all things. Endure afflictions. Do the work of an evangelist. Make full proof of thy ministry.

That's a lot to throw at one guy.

Put yourself in Timothy's shoes.

If I'm Timothy, I'm probably cowering in an office somewhere thinking:

"I can't face these people."
"I can't follow the Apostle Paul."
"I can't live up to their expectations."
"I'm stressed to the max as it is."
This is too big for me. I'm not capable. I'm not worthy. I'm not smart enough. I'm in over my head. I'm going to fail.

I believe that's how Timothy felt. Because honestly, that's how I feel sometimes. Maybe that's how you feel today.

From fearful to faithful.

But God didn't give Timothy a spirit of fear, and He didn't give it to you either. He gives power for what you can't handle. He gives love that keeps you serving when you'd rather run. He gives a sound mind when your thoughts are spinning.

Timothy was a scared soldier — but he was a soldier, nonetheless. God doesn't wait for you to stop being afraid before He uses you. He meets you in your fear and gives you what you need to keep going.