2 Timothy 1 6-8

“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you, through the laying
on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and
of a sound mind.”

We were born to believe that we all have special gifts and that it is up to us
whether we’d use it or simply act stagnantly because we cannot seem to find
purpose on whatever God has given us. There are gifts bestowed upon us even
before the map of what we call our destiny has been laid. But not all have used that
particular gift in order to ignite others to love the way He has loved us.

How far can we go to share what we have in helping others?

How deep can we sink to realize that God’s gifts are not just mere talents and skills?
How accepting can we be to open ourselves beyond our own comforts to answer His
call?
How deep can we love in Christ’s way?

You see my dearest friends; it is very difficult to confront these questions.

Many of us have become too self-centered. All of us want attention, all of us aim for
recognition, all of us thirst for appreciation and we do that either in the most subtle
or frantic ways. Allow me to cite the way your social media feeds look like. It is full
of self-righteous content about food, achievements, events, and whatnots that would
gratify the person’s ego, confidence, self-esteem, and pride. Even acts and forms of
charity are incomplete without a photo of the act and what’s more worse? A selfie—
a selfie of you doing something good, you trying to call attention that you were able
to do something. Is it not possible to show acts of charity in silence and humility?

But what gift are we really talking about when God said that to Timothy?
By "the gift" is meant His ministerial gift; for what qualifies men for the ministry, is
not anything natural in them, nor acquired by them, but what is given unto them,
and that of God: and this was "in" Him; it continued with Him; it was not lost by Him,
nor taken from Him. This gift comes in a much deeper sense unfathomable beyond
human superficiality.

As human beings, we are called to make use of what has been given to us. We
are called to continue His ministry in the way we live our lives. He has entrusted his
Christian doctrine committed to us for preservation and not kept for us to lean on
our own understanding. According to Matthew Henry, God has not given us the
spirit of fear, but the spirit of power, of courage and resolution, to meet difficulties
and dangers; the spirit of love to Him, which will carry us through opposition.
Though unfathomable and almost difficult to explain, we are simply called to bear a
spirit of love that we should stir or burn in the hearts of others. For a world without
love is a world of fear, of uncertainty, of regrets, of doubts, of mistrust, of violence, of
misguided idolatry, of egotism, of bigotry, of temptation, treachery, mischief and sin.
We want a life that is easy and convenient but what could that be compared to God’s
promise in the kingdom of heaven if we simply live the life that He has asked us to
do, to use the gifts He has generously given, to share the grace of those gifts, to offer
oneself without measure so that others may live, and lastly, to sleep well at night
knowing that you have been a blessing to others.

Yes my dear friends for having a sound mind is the grace of God that we can
only achieve if we do good and beautiful things consistently. This is the power that
His love alone can give. His love that is ours to use and share for God has no body
but ours and what better way is it to live life in fruition but to simply put love in the
things that we do, the people that we deal with everyday, and the fact of knowing
that there are people who see Christ in us. This sounds too good to be true but we
already have this grace within us for we are made in His image and likeness:
compassionate and loving beyond measure. We are the ones who choose the path
that God has laid before us. Therefore we have the power to choose Him and be Him
in many ways than one.
Have you ever heard the song Christify?
For me these are lyrics that mean a beautiful submission to Him who has made us
and who has given us these gifts.

“Christify the gifts we bring to you, bounty of the earth receive anew. Take and bless
the work of our hands, Christify these gifts of your command.”

"Christify" signifies the unique meaning of Christ's transforming power in the world.
Indeed, all these gifts would deem useless if we fail to ask for the grace of Christ’s
love. Love in Christ and live in Christ for this does not only make life worth living
but makes us living in His love.