Fan Into Flame
Posted on April 27, 2016 by America's Keswick in Freedom Fighters
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” ~2nd Timothy 1:6
Would you say that you have a person in your life that challenges you spiritually? Someone who makes you do things to a point of being uncomfortable.
You may be able to answer with a confident “yes I do” or you could be there thinking to yourself, “I don’t think so”. The first is easier to see the one who has laid his hand on you and sees the way you’ve been stretched. The later my not realize it but if we don’t have an obvious suiter God usually puts people in our life to “Fan into Flame” our gift from God. The problem with the less obvious is we tend to view these people as annoying or bothersome, even getting into conflict with them.
Paul, in this chapter of 2nd Timothy is Timothy’s obvious billow, he’s taken this young man and invested himself in Timothy to bring him up and keep him fresh. Paul seems to be addressing an issue of fear or a better word would be cowardice in Timothy. He isn’t teaching him a new thing, he is reminding him of what he already knows and in a sense “shaking off the dust”.
I wonder if we aren’t guilty of moving into more knowledge before we practice what we already know. Is it possible to have a fear of doing and instead of walking in what we already know we fear what it brings?
We sometimes get comfortable in our surroundings and forget what were called to do. That’s where the object of a person acting as a billow over a smoldering flame comes into play. We need those people who remind us what we already know and challenge us to act. The saying “familiarity breeds contempt” may be accurate here. It’s when we become so familiar with our surroundings that we lose respect for the gifts God has given us. Jesus has a lot to say about this in the Gospels regarding talents and minas.
The typical response when we are affected by fear is to react to our feelings and emotions which are usually wrong. Paul urges Timothy to “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you” (vs. 13,14). He says in the previous verses that we don’t do this to earn anything with God but because of the testimony of Jesus “who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (vs.9,10).
So don’t let the fire go out, allow someone to be able to “Fan it Into Flame”. Amen!
Written by Rob Russomano: Rob is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a full time staff member at America’s Keswick. He is also available as a speaker of the grace of God with a message of Hope for church events.
The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 118; Proverbs 27
Daily Quote:“Truth offends everyone outside its definitions. But the irony of truth is that the greater its potential for offense, the greater its potential for giving hope.” ~David Jeremiah
This Week’s Verse to Memorize:
We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name. ~Psalm 33:20-21
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Consider a retreat at America’s Keswick retreat center.
