15.09 | Fan the Flames
2 Timothy 1
‘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
I only went down the garden to tidy up. It was late, dark, but still warm. And we’d left some stuff from the BBQ at the bottom of the garden.
But those coals were still glowing, and there was some old, dry wood nearby. I threw it onto the fire as I started tidying. And it started to smoulder.
It was too tempting. I picked up a dirty plate, and started to fan the embers. The smoke increased. The heat was building again. And then, suddenly, as fire does, a fresh flame flickered into life.
Within ten minutes the whole family had left the movie we had been watching, fresh firewood was brought out, and we spent over an hour chatting and playing charades around the fire pit.
Paul is writing his last letter—at least the last that we have—before his death.1 He’s in prison, in Rome, for the second time—chained up and and awaiting execution under the unhinged Caesar Nero. And he’s writing to Timothy again in Ephesus, urging him towards sustaining that community in the life-giving elements of the Gospel.
Timothy, as we learned in the last letter to him, is young, and tends to be fearful. He is dealing with conflict and leading through complexity. It’s a tough gig. Shrinking back, shutting up, compromise and hiding must have look appealing.
Timothy needs power. He needs strength. He needs courage and wisdom and help. He needs something to build in him that when he gets up again to face the complex challenges of Ephesus that he feels he has something in the tank to give.
Paul’s solution?
Fan into flame the gift of God.
There’s a temptation, when we struggle, to look for different weapons than the ones that God has already given us. To search for techniques and ideas, gurus and soundbites. We can avoid and numb, we can hide and leave. We can delegate what is rightfully ours and fritter our time in things lesser than our calling. We can think that hiding will make us feel better.
But Paul calls Timothy back to the primary weapon of that gifting that God has put upon his life. His solution is renewed fire in the simple thing that he has been gifted to do—which, for Timothy, means to teach. His solution today is the same as it was yesterday. Relentless fidelity to this gift is what Ephesus needs. It is what the Kingdom needs. It is what Timothy needs.
Fan into flame the gift of God.
A gift can grow cold, if unused. A vocation can lose heat, if untended. A calling can turn to embers when not infused with the lifeblood of prayer and His presence. The gift is not lost, but neglected. It has become glowing embers at the bottom of the garden while we watch The Emoji Movie on Netflix.
Fan into flame the gift of God.
Child of God, there are core gifts the Father has given you. Fan these into flame. Fuel them in prayer, in worship, in Scripture, in community, and in relentless practice. Fire needs fuel and oxygen; a gift needs Scripture and Spirit. For many of the crises we face, we do not need a fresh weapon, but a radical obedience in the essential gifting that God has put upon your life. None of us have all the gifts. Not every battle is yours to fight. But fight yours.
Fear would make you hide. Fear would distract you with lesser things. Fear would lead you to step out of the battle. Fear turns furnaces to embers.
But God did not give you a spirit of fear.
He gives power. He turns our motives to love. He grows in us self-control.
And so, my friends, relentlessly and courageously,
Fan into flame the gift of God.
Reflect:
Where does fear stop you stepping further into a gift you have?
Name those fears.
What might fanning the flames look like today?
Pray:
Father,
I recall today that you do not call me to do
Everything,
And yet, you call me to do
Something.
Something unique;
Something specific;
Something that grows from my friendship with you,
And the animating power of the Spirit within me.
Father,
I am sorry for where I have hidden,
Numbed,
Avoided,
Made excuses,
And settled for the false securities of hiding.
I want a greater life--.
And so,
I start fanning these embers,
And I start fanning these flames.
And as I do so,
Spirit of God,
Would you breathe into me
Power,
Love,
And the command of my wayward self,
That I may play my part
In your unfolding purposes,
The demolition of the darkness
And the ushering in of your endless reign.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
Old Testament:
For those also reading the Old Testament this year, your additional readings are here:
Song of Solomon 6:4-8:14 | Psalm 107:33-43
Not the last we’ll read. We’ll come onto Titus and Philemon, but they were likely written a little earlier.
Very relevant. Thanks !