Fuel the Flame

"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 did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." -2 Timothy 6-7

Why do so many burn out? Why is it so hard to stay passionate? Paul tells us why in this letter to Timothy. If you never truly fan into flame the gift of God which is in you, the fire will die out. Fire is to be inflamed with passion. Passion is an intense emotion that compells you to action. But what keeps us from fueling the fire?

There are three fire-extinguishers:

1. Spirit of Timidity

In this verse it says that God has not given us a spirit of fear. Fear is something you acquire outside of God; for God is love, and perfect love casts out ALL fear. In Proverbs 28:1 it says, "But the righteous are as bold as lions." If we struggle in the area of fear, it is evidence of spiritual weakness.

2. Spirit of Unforgiveness

In Mark 11:25 it says, "If you have anything against someone, forgive- only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins." If we harbor unforgiveness within us, it will eventually consume us. Instead of having a Godly fire blazing within our souls, we will be left with a flame fueled by hatred and resentment.

3. Spirit of Pride

Habbakuk 2:4 reads, "Look at the man, bloated by self-importance--full of himself but soul-empty. But the person in right standing before God through loyal and steady believing is fully alive, really alive." Pride keeps us from experiencing God-life. The text clearly states in James 4: 6, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." A high mindedness of oneself keeps God from moving.

But if there are fire extinguishers, then there are also those that fuel the flame.

Spiritual Fire Wood:

1. Spirit of Power

There's a song entitled "The Same Power." The repeating phrase throughout the song is, "The same power that conquered the grave lives in me. Your love that rescued the earth lives in me." If that resurrection power dwells within us, nothing we struggle with will overtake us. For greater is HE that is in ME than he that is in the world. We have authority through Christ, and through him we are more than conquerors.

2. Spirit of Love

Nothing is stronger than the love of God. It's the driving force that makes us zealous. In Psalm 34 it says, "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good." Once we get a taste of God's love, we won't desire anything else. Once we make ourselves vulnerable to God to receive his love, it changes our entire being. We become a lighthouse that emanates the love of God.

3. Spirit of Self-Discipline

Self-control isn't easy. It's learning to say "no" when your flesh is begging "yes." But if we know the authority we have and if we've experienced the love of God, we won't hesitate in our decision. And it's not just for our benefit. If we go around doing worldly things, it's an automatic turn off to those searching for something real. Acquiring self-discipline is key to keeping the fire ablaze.

Not only does Paul list the spirits God has given us, but he talks about the gifts we've received. Our spiritual gifts are ours for a reason. God's desire is to use us for his purposes. It's the only road that leads to fulfillment. We have to know what our gifts are, and we have to pursue them. But just because we desire to be good at something, doesn't necessarily mean it's a God-desire. Why waste time pursuing something you'll only be okay at, instead of focusing your time on something you'll be great at? But it goes both ways. For instance, one of my gifts is communication. I can desire to a great communicator, but desire is useless without effort. It's more than just wanting things; you have to be willing to fight for them. I'm not going to develop my gifts unless I start putting them into action. Everyone has a gift, and every one's gift requires activation.

You fan the fire into flame through the gifts you've received, and you keep it ablaze through using the spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. It's not easy, but it's worth it. Fuel the flame.

//stacey//