Fanning the Flame

I was reading 2 Timothy today. Paul charged Timothy to be a Good Soldier, an Approved Worker, a Careful Believer, and a Good Work Producer. But, as I read all that Timothy was to be, I realized that it all began with his spiritual gift. Wow! We cannot be any of those things mentioned before if we do not identify God's gifting and then fan the flame of the gift.

We are told in 2 Timothy 1:5-7 that with faith comes the gift. In fact, Paul says in Romans 12:6, "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us." And, later Paul says in Eph. 4 that the purpose of the gifting is so "that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine....[that we] may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love."

What is clear is that we all have a gifting and God has placed each person in the body to cause the body -- all the members of the body -- to grow.

The challenge presented to the member is to fan the flame. And, we should fan the flame because God has given us power, love, and self discipline. Thus, we should walk boldly in our gifting. To do otherwise would be an insult to God. See the parable of the minas (Luke 19:11-24). We are stewards over our gifting and must recognize that we should always walk in love but that the gifting comes with power and self discipline.

The challenge presented to the body with respect to the member is to use the member, identify and confirm the gifting, and then to allow the member to fan his/her flame. You see the reason a flame is fanned is that it needs oxygen and when fanned oxygen is funneled into the flame causing it to explode. The body's responsibility is provide the environment in which fanning can take place. To not do so retards a flame and does not acknowledge what Paul communicated so clearly in Ephesians.

If the members and the body do not act in this way, then the member will never be able to fully be a Good Soldier, an Approved Worker, a Careful Believe, and a Good Work Producer. Thus, the member will suffer. And, at the same time, the Body will not receive the nourishment intended when God placed the member in the Body.

1. Do you want to be Good Soldier, an Approved Worker, a Careful Believe, and a Good Work Producer? Find your gifting. Ask your body to confirm it.

2. Are you fanning the flame? God has given you power, love, and self discipline.

3. Lastly, are you an encourager to others like Paul to Timothy? Paul said to Timothy, " I remind you to fan into flames." Sometimes, we just need a reminder or encourager. Be that today to somone.