Power, Love and Self Control!

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.

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Mark P. Shea is a popular Catholic writer and speaker. The author of numerous books, his most recent work is The Work of Mercy (Servant) and The Heart of Catholic Prayer (Our Sunday Visitor). Mark contributes numerous articles to many magazines, including his popular column “Connecting the Dots” for the National Catholic Register. Mark is known nationally for his one minute “Words of Encouragement” on Catholic radio. He also maintains the Catholic and Enjoying It blog and regularly blogs for National Catholic Register. He lives in Washington state with his wife, Janet, and their four sons.

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