Catholic Exchange

2 Timothy 1:7

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

If God had given us a spirit of love but not power, we might burn out with frustration over wanting to love but being unable to do what was necessary.  If he had given us a spirit of love and power, but not self-control, we might have spent ourselves in an unbalanced and powerful love of something essentially selfish.  If he had given us a spirit of power and self-control, but not love, we would have all the ingredients necessary to be the next Adolf Hitler.  And if he had given us self-control, but not power and love we might well have become the most introverted and self-absorbed people who ever walked the face of the earth: a race of Stuart Smalleys perpetually examining ourselves in a hypnotic stupor of therapeutic narcissism.  But God, who is wise, pours out his Spirit without measure and give us all of what we need—-power, love and self-control—-that we might become the image of Christ.  When you face difficulties today, remember you have power, love and self-control.