Questioning cowardice

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

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.

St. Paul writes these things to St. Timothy in today's first reading (2 Timothy 1:1-3,6-12) and he says these same things to us.

We might then ask ourselves some important questions:

• Do you and I draw upon "strength that comes from God"?
  
• Do we embrace our share of hardship for the sake of the Gospel?
  
• Or do we let the world afflict us with a spirit of cowardice?
  
• Are we concerned with self-love and the control of others?
  
• Or are we concerned with self-control and the godly love of others?

Most probably, we have been far from perfect and few of us have not been tainted with the spirit of cowardice, but no matter how imperfect we may be or have been, we can move beyond it, through the power and strength of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

He saved us and called us to a holy life,
not according to our works
but according to his own design
and the grace bestowed on us
in Christ Jesus
before time began...