Paul’s Five Encouragements: What He Told a Fearful Friend

A quick note: today's devotional is a little longer than usual and looks a little different. Instead of settling on a single verse, we're walking through a whole chapter and drawing out five encouragements Paul gives. Take it all at once, or one encouragement at a time.

Second Timothy is a letter Paul wrote to encourage his disciple, Timothy — a gifted young leader who was letting fear get the better of him. Warren Wiersbe put it this way: “Timothy hesitated to face matters squarely and settle them according to the Word of God.” That hesitation stemmed from fear. So in chapter 1, Paul offers his fearful friend five encouragements — five reasons to stop shrinking back and step forward in faith. And every one of them speaks to us in the moments when fear makes us hesitate, too. Let's dig in!

Encouragement #1: A Praying Friend (vv. 3-5)

“Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. I long to see you again, for I remember your tears as we parted. And I will be filled with joy when we are together again.… I remember your genuine faith.” — 2 Timothy 1:3-5 (NLT)

Paul was Timothy's mentor and a close friend. In these verses, Paul teaches us that good friends pray for one another.

Questions to Ponder: Do you have friends who regularly pray for you? Do you allow your friends to know you well enough to invite desperate prayer into your life? Do you regularly pray for your friends? How well do you know your friends and their struggles?

Application: Make it your mission to know your friends' hearts and struggles more deeply, and pray for them regularly. Take one step today to make this happen.

Encouragement #2: A Wonderful Gift (vv. 6-7)

“This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” — 2 Timothy 1:6-7 (NLT)

We all have spiritual gifts that the Lord intends to nurture and use for His purposes and glory. We are to steward these gifts — and when fear or other distractions hold us back, we need to remember that God is the sustainer of our faith and the source of our strength.

Questions to Ponder: What spiritual gift(s) has God given you? How do you steward these gifts? How do you use them for God's purposes and glory? Do you let fear and timidity keep you from releasing your gift? What would your life look like if you operated more in power and love than in fear and timidity?

Application: If you haven't already, ask the Lord to show you your spiritual gifts. Ask a mentor or a wise Christian friend to help you discern and understand them. Once you understand them, continually ask the Lord to use them for His purposes and glory. Try to put at least one to use this week!

Encouragement #3: A Holy Calling (vv. 8-11)

“For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.” — 2 Timothy 1:9 (NLT)

We are called to live holy lives, on mission for the Lord — to advance His purposes and display His grace.

Questions to Ponder: Would you say you're living a holy life? Are there areas in your life where you could be more holy? Do you have a sense of purpose — a higher purpose? What is it?

Application: Take a personal inventory of unholy activities, and take steps to cease them. Ask the Lord to give you a vision for the higher purpose He's placed on your life, and take one step toward that vision.

Encouragement #4: A Faithful Savior (vv. 12-14)

“I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.… Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.” — 2 Timothy 1:12, 14 (NLT)

Paul wrote these words while waiting to be executed. All he had to do to avoid death was renounce his faith — but he refused. Why? Because he believed eternal life could be found only through his faithful Savior. He also knew the power of the Holy Spirit to guard the truth in our hearts.

Questions to Ponder: Paul would rather die than renounce his Savior — is your trust in Christ that deep? Do you live with eternity in view, the way Paul did, or mostly with your eyes fixed on this life? And when it comes to guarding that faith and standing firm, are you leaning on your own willpower — or on the Holy Spirit, whom God gave to strengthen you from within?

Application: Many don't rely on the Holy Spirit for help; instead, they rely on themselves and their own strength. Start building a habit of relying on the Holy Spirit by actively seeking His help. Try today to trust the Holy Spirit to do something in your life.

Encouragement #5: A Godly Example (vv. 15-18)

“As you know, everyone from the province of Asia has deserted me.” — 2 Timothy 1:15 (NLT)

Paul shows Timothy a hard truth: following and serving the Lord can be lonely. Doing God's work — whether in formal ministry or in the quiet faithfulness of everyday life — is good, but it doesn't guarantee an easy road. Just the opposite! Paul urges Timothy to persevere through the lonely stretches.

“May the Lord show special kindness to Onesiphorus and all his family because he often visited and encouraged me. He was never ashamed of me because I was in chains.” — 2 Timothy 1:16 (NLT)

But against that backdrop of desertion, one man stood out. Paul holds up Onesiphorus as a godly example (v. 16): when everyone else fell away and Paul sat in chains, Onesiphorus kept showing up — refreshing him and never ashamed to stand with him. That's the gift a faithful friend can be. And it's a gift we can give: whether someone is worn down in ministry or simply lonely in life, we can be the one who comes alongside.

Questions to Ponder: Are you feeling alone in ministry? Or maybe alone in life? Where do you find encouragement? Are you someone who faithfully encourages others in ministry or in life in general?

Application: Encourage someone in ministry or in life today. And if you're feeling alone or discouraged — whether in ministry or just in the day-to-day — share it with a trusted friend and receive the encouragement the Lord sends through them. Isolation can wear anyone down; don't let it.

Five encouragements — a praying friend, a God-given gift, a holy calling, a faithful Savior, and godly examples. Each is God's answer to the fear that makes us hesitate. So when you feel yourself shrinking back, don't. Remember what God has placed around you and within you — and step forward.

Big Idea

When fear makes us hesitate, God hasn't left us powerless. Paul's five encouragements remind us that God gives His people everything needed to step forward in faith — not a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and self-discipline.

Before the Lord — a daily devotional by Blake S. Crawford. Read more and subscribe free at blakescrawford.com/before-the-lord.