Excerpt from 2 Timothy 2:1-10"You then, my child, be empowered by the grace that is in Christ Jesus."

Reflection by Anthony B. Robinson

Sometimes you gotta claim it. Sometimes, apparently, you have to reach out and take hold of the power that has been given to you. Power may have been granted, but it must also be claimed.

Timothy had been prepared by Paul to lead the congregation in Ephesus in Paul's absence. Apostle Paul had appointed him and authorized him. God had placed gifts and graces within him. Those gifts had been nurtured by Timothy's mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois. God's gift had been affirmed and God's power confirmed when Paul laid his hands on Timothy and prayed.

But when push came to shove, there was one more thing that had to happen. Timothy had to claim it. Timothy had to own the power made available to him in Christ Jesus. You are empowered, wrote Paul to Timothy, now be empowered. Claim your power.

We Christians tend to be ambivalent about power. Often we're not even that. Some seem to think that power, all power, is just bad, even evil. For sure, power can be misused and abused. But pretending we don't have power isn't the answer. Acting as if the gospel has no power is just bad stewardship. Pretending God is friendly but feckless isn't doing anyone a favor.

"For God," wrote Paul to Timothy, "did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-control" (2 Timothy 1: 7). Have you claimed the power that God has given you for ministry and service in Christ's name? Have we claimed the power of the gospel to raise the dead and heal broken hearts? Now, take a deep breath, straighten your spine, raise your head, shoulders back, then go - be powerful today for God.

Prayer

Forgive me God for the times I had the power to make a difference and failed to use it. Grant me grace today to claim the power you have entrusted to me, to use it well and wisely, and even to have some fun being powerful in you. Amen.

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About the Author Anthony B. Robinson, a United Church of Christ minister, is a speaker, teacher and writer. His newest book is Stewardship for Vital Congregations, published by The Pilgrim Press. Read his weekly reflections on the current lectionary texts at www.anthonybrobinson.com/ by clicking on Weekly Reading.

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