God’s Giving Knows No Ending
17th Sunday after Pentecost – Oct 5, 2025
Psalm 37:1-9 and 2 Timothy 1:1-14
By Pastor Jane Shelton
Today we find Timothy where we have all probably been at some point in our Christian journey, questioning our faith.
Paul, Timothy’s mentor, has been imprisoned, and Timothy is unsure of his purpose and his future as a leader declaring the gospel to the people.
Many of us might question where we are in life right now, or maybe we have questioned it in the past when it seems the path we are on is surely not one we should be taking.
It is good when we step back and question where we are in our relationship with God. We might ask ourselves difficult questions, discern whether the path we are on is one that we have chosen, or one that God has directed us to be on in service of the gospel.
Whether or not Timothy is discouraged is not fully known, and we can only infer it from Paul’s pleading with him to remember his great faith, especially as it relates to how faith was passed down to him by his family.
According to Paul, Timothy’s grandmother and mother instilled in him the practices of their faith, raising the question, “Is faith a learned behavior?”
We certainly read scriptures encouraging us to have faith; Jesus taught us what it means to have faith, and we often discuss what it means to have faith.
Paul recalls the day he and Timothy are separated when he was being imprisoned and remembers Timothy’s tears. His letter shows the love that these two shared as mentor and protege, and a shared faith in their witness to the gospel they taught.
Paul refers to him as “his child” relating to us how fond he was of Timothy. He obviously brought joy to Paul’s life in observing his service to the Lord and the faith he had in the mission.
Timothy is reminded by Paul to recall who he is, to hold fast to what he has proclaimed, to what he knows, and to rekindle the fire that lives within him.
Paul takes full credit for the Holy Spirit being placed upon Timothy as Paul laid his hands upon him. “Rekindle the gift of God,” Paul tells Timothy, don’t be a coward; remember your faith. “God does not give us a spirit of cowardice, rather a spirit of power and love and of self-discipline.”
Ironically, our Session devotional last week was 2 Corinthians 13:4
“To be sure, Christ was crucified in weakness, yet he lives
by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s
power we will live with him in our dealing with you.”
In this scripture, we are reminded that our power comes from God through Christ. We can accomplish what we do because of the power of God through us working in service to further God’s work in the world.
It is easy to take our eyes off the ball when we are distracted by life’s interruptions – sickness, grief, depression, being caretakers, and making sure we are getting our daily tasks done, to name just a few.
Just as Paul was reminding Timothy not to turn away from his calling, we come here on Sundays to be reminded of all that God provides and God’s never-ending love for us.
We gather to pray, to fellowship, to find joy in being with one another, and to lift each other up so that we might face the challenges in the world, and more than that, so that we are not cowards to our calling to spread the gospel and share God’s love with others.
Timothy is human. Everything that he has trusted to be truth has landed Paul in prison, and he is left to continue without Paul by his side.
He’s probably overwhelmed, doubting if he can continue without Paul, or continue at all.
Paul continues to encourage Timothy, reminding him there is no shame in claiming the truth of the real life promised in Christ Jesus. “Join in the suffering,” Paul exclaims, “relying on the power of God who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to God’s own purpose and grace.”
This journey isn’t about us, it’s about God.
Paul knows that the message must continue to future generations. Timothy is the one chosen to continue, rekindle the flame, and let his light shine to share the message that has been given to him by Paul.
Paul tells him, “Hold fast to his teachings and the knowledge he has been given, even if he suffers, there is eternal life on the other side of this life. Hold on to your faith and love in Christ Jesus, and guard the good treasure entrusted to you with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.”
When I consider this scene, it is heart wrenching. Timothy’s mentor, his teacher has been placed in prison. Surely Timothy was afraid and questioned everything he had been taught and what he believed in as the truth to the point he was in tears.
But Paul gets it, and he needs Timothy to get it, too.
Paul understood his purpose and the reason for his purpose. He understood the gospel and the great need to continue spreading the word of the gospel – the light of Jesus Christ that gave us life over death, and the God of love, grace, mercy and peace.
Think about where we would be if Timothy, and others like him, had not passed down the good treasure. What if they had not endured the suffering? What if they had not had the courage to continue spreading the word?
Over the last several weeks we have discussed stewardship, and what that looks like to us, individually, and as a group in community. Where do we go from here? How do we continue our mission and spread the gospel? How do we spread the love we have been shown, and the blessings God has given us? How do we share it with others?
Paul and Timothy remind us that we are to pursue more enriching lives in service to God.
We are to nurture our faith and rekindle the spirit within us that is the light of love, the light of Christ. Will we remain faithful to God’s calling despite suffering and shame Christians often endure?
One of my commentaries points out that this passage calls upon traditional theological images of divine power and grace to reaffirm Timothy’s loyalty to tradition. His grandmother and mother were faithful; Paul was faithful; God is faithful; Timothy, in turn, is called upon by God to also be faithful.
Like Timothy, we often become discouraged wondering what is ahead, and when this happens, we turn inward, we pray, we rekindle the gift we have been given, and we give thanks that we are part of something so much bigger. We also are a part of Christ’s ministry.
The greatest gift we have been given is the grace that comes “not according to our works but according to God’s own purpose and grace.”
To “rekindle the gift” means to stir up the grace, faith and love that we have received. How do we do this? We stir them up by putting them into practice.
There are countless examples of Christian love and mercy. God’s grace watches over the church as a body in action.
As we continue to navigate our faith journey in stewardship, may we rely on God’s power when we suffer, when we forget our salvation and need a reminder to breathe in the Spirit of God. We can remember the gifts God has given that call us into relationship, and we can respond in gratitude knowing we serve a God whose giving knows no end.
To God be the glory! Indeed, great things he has done!