And for this reason I remind you to
kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my
hands. For God has not given us a
spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.
At
times we all fall short in our work of the ministry God has given to us. It is in these times that we need to
challenge and encourage one another.
And how is the best way to do this? In today’s passage Paul shows us
how.
First
we are to encourage each other to rekindle or “fan into flames” our spiritual
gift, given to us by God (v. 6)! Each
of us that have trusted Christ as our Savior has received at least one gift for
service. I Peter 4:10 tells us, “As each one has received a special gift,
employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of
God.” Discouragement, feelings that
no one is interested in or wants our ministry, or just plain timidity can cause
our spiritual gift to “freeze up”. When
we see a brother or sister in Christ floundering, we need to come alongside and
help them “fan into flames” their spiritual gift. We should never underestimate the power of spiritual gifts
which here is likened to fire and we all have seen what a blazing fire can do!
Secondly
we are to remind each other of the resources we have in Christ (v. 7).
What
God has not given us is a spirit of fear and timidity. If there is fear and intimidation in our
lives, we can’t trace that to God. Fear
puts a chain around us. There is
nothing more pitiful than to see an animal, designed to be free, locked in a
cage. We as Christians are not to be
locked in a cage of fear, totally helpless to be of service to anyone.
What
God has given us are three divine assets which are necessary and
essential to get the job done that God has called us to do; three assets
which govern the effectiveness of our service.
They unfreeze the function of our gifts and unlock the cage of fear.
• Power
– But you shall receive power when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses . . . Acts 1:8. This power is the inward dynamic of the Holy
Spirit, the ability to make an impact, and the capacity to be of
influence. (CF Acts 17:2-4, Acts 9:22)
• Love
– And hope does not disappoint, because
the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit
who was given to us. Romans 5:5. Love is the capacity to see and
understand others through the heart of God.
Love frees us from intimidation.
• Discipline
or a “sound mind” – A mind that quickly generates self-control in all
circumstances.
So,
beloved, we do not need any new spiritual ingredient in our lives. We just need to fan into flame that which
God has already given us and encourage each other to do the same. Remember, encouragement is like a peanut
butter sandwich – the more you spread it around, the better things stick
together! God bless and happy fanning!
Love
to all,