FANNING THE FIRE OF GOD'S GIFTS

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

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.

2 Timothy 1:6

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

God has placed gifts in every person, gifts He hopes and expects will be realized and used to carry out His will and way. No person is exempt from this but there is a major problem existing today as it has since biblical days. For every person who has a gift doesn’t see it and then commit to put it into action to God’s glory.

In today’s verse from the opening chapter of his second letter to Timothy, we find him using a fire analogy to encourage the one he called his “son” (v.2) to fully put into practice what God has given him. Specifically in this instance, this was to pastor the Ephesian church and its believers.

Consider when someone attempts to build a fire. They first need to gather something that will burn and this is usually kindling and other larger pieces of wood. The larger word is stacked with the kindling underneath as it is used to start the fire.

Once a flame is touched to the kindling and it begins to burn, usually with a small flame, the fire starter will often blow or fan the small flame.

Why?

Because the fledgling fire within the kindling will often extinguish before it can ignite the larger wood pieces unless it is enhanced by moving wind. This brings out some of the science associated with fire. For fire needs oxygen to survive. The more applied to the fire, the stronger it rages.

Consider the recent tragedy on the island of Maui. A wildfire was burning on the island when a tropical storm passed by, not bringing rain but high winds. These winds whipped the wildfire into a frenzy and it proceeded to burn down major residential and business areas until there was nothing left to burn. Had it not been for the winds that fanned the flames of the wildfire, the catastrophe would have been averted as the fire wouldn’t have become uncontrollable.

Moving back to our passage for today, we find Paul encouraging Timothy to fan the flame of the gifts God had given to pastor the Ephesian Christians. Fanning the flame of these gifts would ensure that they would burn strong and powerfully as Timothy carried out the important Gospel ministry he was called to.

Now, most of us will never be pastors but we all have been called by Jesus to be evangelists and we’re to use the gifts He has planted within us to that end. Like Timothy, we’re to fan the flame of the talents God has granted so that they will burn with the power of the Holy Spirit as we use them to carry out God’s will and way.

This message forces some pointed questions on us.

First, have we given priority to realizing the gifts God has given, gifts He wants us to use for the cause of the Gospel and serving Him and others?

Second, if so, are we putting these gifts to use every day to carry out Jesus’ Great Commission calling (Matthew 28:18-20) as well as God’s will for other service in His name?

Finally, if we are putting those gifts to use, are we fanning the flame of those gifts so they will grow stronger and more powerful, leading to greater effectiveness in carrying out what the Lord calls us to do?

We should always be using these three questions to self reflect on how well we are functioning as servants of the Lord Most High, the Lord who has called us into action, expecting that we will burn like fire for Him and for His sake.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.