How to Stir Up the Flame of God in Your Life
Here are a few ways to keep your Inner Fire stirred up
God has set up life in such a way that though He is our Source, Savior, and is forever Sovereign; He does not do everything for us.
In our dependence on Him and learning to work with Him, He designed this world so that we have important roles to play.
That is one reason it is very important that we take consistent, concrete steps to keep the fire of God’s Spirit and gifts burning strong. It’s one reason Paul wrote to his beloved son in the faith, also his trainee, Timothy, these words:
“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, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:6–7 ESV)
For this reason
In his Spirit-inspired writing to Timothy, he says, “for this reason.” What is the reason for the next sentence?
Verse #5 tells us the reason is Timothy’s sincere faith.
Sincere faith in Jesus is always the foundation for everything else in our Christian lives. It’s the only foundation to build our lives on, the only foundation that will stand the tests of God and time. (1 Corinthians 3:10–12 ESV)
If you have a sincere faith in Jesus, the next words are great encouragement to you as well.
Stir into flame the gift of God, which is in you
Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and 1 Peter 4 all teach that every single Jesus follower has received gifts from God to be used to glorify God and help others.
Sometimes we don’t feel like God has given us important gifts, but the Word of God says that if you are a believer in Jesus, God Himself has given some aspect of His talents to you.
You would think that if God Almighty had put gifts inside us, they would just automatically and naturally flow out of us; and there is a degree of truth to that. The gifts God has given us will often flow out of us with a measure of ease.
If God has given you a gift of administration, you are probably naturally good at organizing things. If He has given you a gift of healing, people will regularly be healed through your ministry. If He has gifted you with the ability to lead worship, doing so will energize you and bless others.
That’s the great news about God’s gifts.
But, because of our human weaknesses, the power of sin at work in the world, and the enemy’s consistent attacks, it’s pretty easy for the fire of these gifts to subside quickly.
Paul makes it very clear that we need to remember to fan into flame or stir up the gifts of God in our lives. The Greek phrase for “fan into flame” means “stirring up the embers in a fire” to increase the power and intensity of the flame.
If we don't consistently add wood, eventually the flame will die down.
Even though God Himself has put His gifts in us, they can burn low, or decrease in intensity.
So, we need to regularly stir up those flames. We need to fan them into a high level of fire again. And we can do it with God’s help.
Fear is a Big Flame Quencher
As soon as he tells Timothy to remember to fan the gifts of God into flame, he addresses fear.
“God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.” (vs. 7 ESV)
Fear is one of the biggest enemies of living out God’s purposes, and there are hundreds of types of fear. But outside the fear of God, and the fear that protects us from doing dumb things, fear is an enemy. It typically attempts to block us from fully following Jesus and doing His purposes.
Here, fear can cause us to reduce or even shut down the flame of God’s gifts. It takes a measure of faith and love to take the risk of putting ourselves out there. In this faith, we are to believe and trust that we have something worthwhile to give to other people.
This is one of the enemy’s most consistent lies
“You don’t have anything worthwhile to give, so sit back and be quiet.”
… Some version of this point hits our minds, especially when we start taking action for the gospel.
That is a big part of the reason that Paul tells Timothy he needs to take active steps to combat the fear, stir up what God has put inside him, and let those gifts flow out to help others.
The enemy always tries to shut down the flow of life from the Holy Spirit in us. He wants us to stay on the sidelines of insignificance. He tries to keep us on the bench instead of being engaged and coming alive, doing what God planned.
How Do We Do It?
One of the best ways is to REMEMBER.
Paul tells Timothy, “For this reason I REMIND you….”
The Apostle Peter wrote the same thing in 2 Peter 1:13 (ESV), “I think it right, as long as I am in this body to STIR YOU UP by way of REMINDER.”
When we remember something, we bring to our conscious minds something we have already learned or experienced.
The Bible references “remember, remind, don’t forget” over 200 different times.
Intentionally bringing truths to our conscious thoughts that we have already learned is a powerful way to stir up the life and gifts of God in us.
Specifically here, Paul tells Timothy to REMEMBER:
- He has God-given gifts
- Those gifts need to be regularly fanned into flame
- God didn’t give us a spirit of fear
- God gave us a spirit of love, power, and self-control.
Reminding ourselves of these things is one of the best ways to stir up the abundant life and flow of the Spirit within us.
I know when I take the time to verbally remind myself of God’s purposes, His gifts in my life, and His promises — it really does fan into flame the life and gifts of God in me.
It is noticeable
When I don’t do this consistently, the power of fear, passivity, selfishness, and doubt increases.
However, when I take a few moments to REMEMBER, especially with spoken words of praise, thanksgiving, and faith, I experience the increase of that inner flame in my soul.
You have wonderful gifts specifically given to you by God Himself. Fan that flame of God into significant service and ministry as you remind yourself of God’s words.
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