Day 1
2 Timothy 1
6 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
We continue with 2 Timothy chapter 1. We have looked at the introduction; Paul is stating who is writing and who he is writing to. We have also seen the prayer with a lot of thanksgiving to God for the person he is writing to.
Then, in verse 6, he starts now instructing the young pastor. And he says, as he instructs him:
6 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.
So, he is saying, “fan into flame,” in older English; stir up the gift of God which is in you. Paul has already said that he knows that Timothy is a gifted person. But he says it’s not enough to have the gift; you must fan it into flame. You must stir it up.
Sounds more like when we are drinking tea and your host put sugar into the cup but did not tell you. So, you just started drinking the tea and you assume they don’t have sugar. And you drink it, not enjoying it because you like sugar. Nearer the bottom of the cup is when you realize, “Wow, there is sugar at the bottom!” What was the problem? It was never stirred up. Therefore, you drank whatever you drank unhappily, all because of not stirring it up.
So, this Timothy is being reminded: you have gifts, but those gifts will benefit nobody if you don’t fan them into flame. And here, he is not telling him for the first time. So, he says, “I remind you.” It is not something they have never discussed. “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God in you.”
Might you be in that category, where you are gifted, but your gifts are lying dormant? You are somebody valuable for the kingdom of God, but because you are timid, like Timothy, you cannot be of much use in God’s kingdom. For this reason, Paul often encourages him to be strong and bold. Maybe that’s you or me who are being told there is a gift which we are sitting on is unproductive because of not fanning it into flame’—not allowing it to come to full fruition. “I’m reminding you.”
Day 2
2 Timothy 1
7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline
I think there are several things we learn in the fanning process:
Awareness: Timothy was not unaware of the gift God had in him. He is totally aware. Many of us are aware of our giftings, but we find it difficult to actually use them because of our timidity.
Environmental Pressure: Having been aware of the gift, may be his personality and, of course, the kind of congregation ‘—the church who are attacking him’—may have silenced him. So maybe he is too timid to actually start using the gift.
The Spirit Overcomes that Nature: Paul is not convinced that your personality should prevent the Spirit of God working in you. It may be true you are timid, naturally, but God still wants to use you.
I think that’s what I’m hearing in this discussion between Paul and his spiritual son, Timothy. You are gifted. Don’t allow timidity to silence your gift. Obviously, we are assuming here that he could not be talking to him about timidity if that was not part of Timothy’s problem.
It is true that the young man had a very heavy responsibility as the overseer of God’s work in Ephesus for all the churches there and the surrounding area. There were many Christians in many congregations, and all of them in the whole region (look at Acts chapter 19 and you see there were several churches planted).
But perhaps our friend Timothy did not have courage. Yet, the responsibility is his. So, Paul wants him to know the gift of the Holy Spirit in him, the giftings of God, can overcome his natural weaknesses. Maybe because of timidity and the kind of people that are attacking the church, he wants to avoid confrontation. And there are many people who don’t achieve much because they don’t like confrontation. And yet there is somebody trying to spoil your project, and because you are not confronting him, he thinks it’s okay for him to continue spoiling it.
Day 3
Job 39:22
It laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; it does not shy away from the sword
But you see, he had seen Paul’s example’—standing, being beaten almost to death. So, he knows that serving the Lord will require more than just avoiding confrontation. And you know, Paul publicly rebuked Peter according to Galatians 2:11. There reaches a level where even somebody you respect, when they are wrong, you may need to confront them. But Timothy had a shepherd’s tender heart for the sheep that God had brought his way. That tender heart is useful and important. But Paul wants to help him to develop a level of boldness that allows him to tackle the wolves that are coming to disturb the sheep, rather than try to avoid all confrontation and allow the devil to use these wrong men to destroy the church of Jesus Christ.
As a pastor, or any shepherd, one of your responsibilities is protecting your sheep. And you are protecting them against wolves’—people who can be described as wolves. Despite, timidity, you have to avoid and confront them for the sake of your sheep. But if you look at the book of Timothy’—both 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy’—somebody has counted about 25 different places where Paul is encouraging Timothy to be bold. He’s encouraging Timothy not to shy away from confrontation. He’s telling him, “Young man, stand up!” because there are situations that need you to stand up and be strong.
But you know, Timothy has been already anointed to be the bishop of the area. Those people who want to destroy are also in the same area. It is therefore necessary for Timothy to hear this encouragement. But please note: reminding people is not a bad idea. Some of us don’t want to be reminded, but I think Paul is teaching us reminding people is something of necessity if you want to help them. Don’t assume they are remembering. Just remind them. Paul is clear: he is not telling the young man anything new which he does not know. But he is saying, “You have forgotten. You are not practicing it. Let me remind you.” Are there people who are getting lost and you seem to think, “Ah, they know. These are just rebels. They know”? No, no, no, no. Like Paul, please remind them.
there are different situations that make you want to avoid confrontation. So, you need to be reminded that what you have discussed before. But you know, people that are timid feel really out of place when you keep telling them to be bold. But if somebody is the daring type, the confrontational type, you don’t have to tell them to be bold; they are bold by nature. So, remind those who need to be reminded. But some people who may not be timid might also have forgotten the gift or ceased to use the gift that God has placed on them for other reasons. So, all of them’—whether bold or not bold’—must be told: stir up the gift of God which is in you. How do you stir it up? By being bold despite your natural inclination? By starting the first move. Don’t just stay where you are. Go for it. Be a go-getter for the kingdom of God.
But you know, I don’t know which category you happen to be in as you read this. Are you the bold type or the timid type? You know, some who appear bold, really, they are just trying to pretend to be bold. But sometimes, they even become confrontational because they are trying to mask’—to cover up’—a lot of insecurity in them. That’s not real boldness. Boldness is doing the right thing in the right way at the right time’—not pretending and creating a scene when dealing with people. Have security in God. Once you’re secure means ‘”God has given me this work, He will help me,”. you operate from a point of security. Then you confront only where there needs to be confrontation, but you don’t become confrontational in all kinds of situations, even when it’s not necessary.
Day 4
Hebrews 10
23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
So, stir up the gift of God. Don’t be passive like Timothy, waiting for things to just happen on their own. That way, the evil people start to misdirect people to the wrong direction. Be bold. Stir up the gift of God. Or whatever gift’—because you are not told details about this gift’—whatever gift God has given you, don’t neglect it. Stir it up.
So, I’m thinking, you may be active in one line of ministry, yet God has also given you gifts in another line. Is He telling you that “Thank you for the work you have done in this area, but you also need it in this other area, and there’s another gift He has given you”? Stir it up. Don’t just do the things you find easy to do. Do even things you don’t find easy to do. Because if God has given you a gift, He expects you to actually use it.
You know what that may mean? He does not give us gifts to waste… we must use them whether we like it or not. We are not robots. We can refuse to use the gifts. For robots’—you just need to program it, and it will do whatever you have programmed it. The difference with the spiritual gifts is that we still can refuse to use them. God doesn’t make us robots and force us. It is important to understand: with all your gifting, God will not force you. It has to be a choice you make to obey Him and use the gifts He has given you. Sometimes you wish He made you a robot, then He would force you, but that’s not God’s way. He gives you a gift, yes, then leaves you to choose whether to use it.
So, when God gives a man a gift, He’s leaving you to choose to operate in the gift. You must have a desire to use the gift, a desire to fulfill God’s purpose for giving you that gift, a desire to see the kingdom of God grow.
Day 5
Hebrews 10
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,
But you know, we may think Timothy is alone in timidity, but there are many of us who sit passively, telling God, “Force me, force me!” God says, “No, it’s you to choose to do it.” God is waiting for you to stir up the gift He has given you, yourself. Don’t sit there waiting for a dramatic Holy Spirit encounter that forces you to do things you have chosen not to accept to do. God is waiting for you to stir up what He has already given you and you know you have it. Stir it up! Fan to flame!
That means you can be having logs in the fire, but you need to fan for it to become a fully flame. And you need to ask yourself: is there some little fire in a certain area which is waiting for your gift for it to burn into flame? And that God wants to use you for the benefit of His kingdom by using the gift He has put in you. So, are you stirring it up? Or put it differently: are you keen to refresh it? In other words, something you were doing before’—a gift that was in operation’—has become dormant. So, when you are told to stir up, it means refresh it or keep it in full flame; don’t allow it to go down.
This is what Timothy, I think, had lost. He had lost the fire and he is not alone. There are many Christians who keep talking about, “When I was young, this is what I did. Oh, when I was in high school, I serve the Lord wonderfully? Do you remember when I was a youth chairman?” All those are good stories. You still have the gift now in your 70s. How are you using the gift? We appreciate that you used that gift in big ways in your younger years, and we thank God for you and the impact you made. But He is saying, “Now, now, now, now, in your old age, stir up the gift!” Use it again; bring it up, back to fresh. It was aflame before; bring the flame again. So, the fire can keep burning into your old age for the glory of God.
How had this gift been identified in Timothy? According to Paul, it was by the laying on of hands. And he is saying, ” the gift that is in you, through the laying on of my hands.” Paul was used by God in imparting the gift from God to this young Timothy. God uses this system of laying on of hands to communicate spiritual gifts on people. That’s one of the works of church pastors, but like Paul: it’s not Paul’s gift, it’s God’s gift. So, God uses Paul to ensure Timothy is aware that God has given this gift.
But you know, not everybody has to be laid hands on for the gift to start operating. There are other ways through which you discover you have a gift. Someone prays for you, or you are in prayer for yourself and you identify a gift in you. Whichever way you got the gift in the first place, it came from God using different methods. So, 10 years later, 20 years later, 40 years later, is that gift still in operation? Or has it become dormant? Please listen to Paul’s message: Fan it to flame! It used to be in flame; now fan it again to flame.
I have a group of people who were very active in the university years serving the Lord in the 1970s. And we have called ourselves “Flame from the 70s”. Somebody sometimes calls it “Flame of the 70s.” we say No, no, no. We say it’s not “Flame of the 70s”‘—it’s “Flame from the 70s.” Why? That’s when you got the flame. It may have gone down, but even in our later years’—some are 70s, some have gone into their 80s’—we can fan the flame back so that in your old age we are doing all exploits for God’s kingdom. May the Lord help us use those gifts that we used to use when we were young, rather than keep talking about what we used to do. May you have a testimony for today because you have stirred it up again’—or fanned it into flame’—those same gifts that you used to have those days. And my prayer is that that will be true of you.
Of course, it may not necessarily be true that Timothy had only once been laid hands on. He may have many gifts. It might have happened in Acts chapter 9. It might also have happened in Acts 13. He may have had the flame’—or rather the gift’—put on him many times. So here, Paul is not talking about him getting another gift; it is simply fanning into flame the gift God had given. “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” He is being reminded why there is a problem. It is because you are forgetting who gave you the gift and how He gave you the gift.
Day 6
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love
Timothy is being told in verse 7 not to be fearful: understand that clearly.
7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
If you have the Spirit of God, you can’t be timid. God has not given us a spirit of timidity but of a sound mind. I still remember this message way back in 1969. We were having what is called the “school Challenge Weekend.” In the Challenge Weekend, we were really having many, many good things happening. But I was afraid of testifying until the preacher read this verse: God has not given us a spirit of timidity. So, when I’m afraid of testifying publicly, I know that is not God’s Spirit at all. He has not given us a spirit of timidity or fear.
It is true Timothy by nature may have been timid, but now he has the Spirit of God, so the fear and timidity should go. And God wanted Timothy through Paul to know that this fear that he was experiencing because of the kind of people he was pastoring was not from God. The God he served does not give that timidity, that fear. For God has not given us the spirit of fear. So, His spirit that is in us is bold. Bold to face situations. Bold to face false teachers. Bold to face people that are backsliding and need to be brought back. Bold to speak publicly even before government officials. Bold to face our own relatives who think there’s something wrong with us because of our testimony. Bold to confront sin even though the people will be very uncomfortable. But are you bold? Of course, you look foolish, but when you are bold you already have taken that in, saying, “Whenever I look foolish, that doesn’t bother me.” Others may be afraid of experiencing rejection, but you know the Savior was rejected. You Should be ready for it.
So, deal with the fear and handle the fear with the knowledge: God has not given you the spirit of fear. So, once you know that the fear and timidity is not from God, do not say, “Oh, but you know, God is the one who is stopping me. I felt I’m not adequate.” No. He has stated categorically He doesn’t give the spirit of fear. Might it be your personality? Remember the Spirit comes and overpowers your personality. Is it some weakness in the flesh that is making you not bold? God answers prayer. Talk to Him. Is it some demonic attack that is making you afraid? Remember the God we believe in is greater than the devil in the world.
So what kind of spirit has He given us? “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” That’s now how you know you have the Spirit of God. So, once you have realized that the kind of fear you have is not from God, you now know what you need to do.
He has given you the spirit of power.
So, when you do His work, you do it in a way that your natural gifts are not the ones at play. You”ll be able to proclaim His word even in very hostile situations. You’ll be able to represent God’s kingdom even in areas where you are risking your life, because you have God’s power that’s supporting you. And whatever the risks, you are safe in God’s hands. If He tells you to do something, know that He’ll be with you. Do it! Yes. He gives you power.
But number two: He has also given you the spirit of love.
That means the way you use the power must be loving. Some people may think that because you have power, you start terrorizing everybody. No. You’re supposed to love them, even if they are in error because the Spirit God has given us is the spirit of love. And you know, the kind of love you are talking about will be expressed in the way you relate with others’—even who don’t deserve your love. You know, the night before the cross, Jesus’—knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands’—operated with a lot of confidence. He humbly washed the disciples’ feet in John chapter 13, as powerful as the kind of power he had. So, can you see? The Spirit of God will give you power. Jesus is going to give you love for the people you are serving.
Day 7
1 Peter 5:8
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour
Paul wants us to keep off timidity. How will that happen? Via God”s gift of power and love.
And then finally, the Spirit of God will give you a sound mind.
When you talk about sound mind, it means you are calm, self-controlled. You are very different from people that are in panic mode because of the kind of challenges they are facing and confusion. No, no, no, no. That will not happen. He has given you a sound mind. That’s something very important. He has given us power, love and self-discipline or sound mind. So, if you are walking and serving carelessly, that’s not an example of somebody who has put their trust in God. He has not given us the spirit of fear, but the spirit of power and of love and of self-control.
May the Lord help us to face our giants in such a way that we shall honour God in the things we are doing and the way we are doing them, because we are doing all of it in order to praise the Lord. Paul wrote this letter to Timothy about boldness, I believe so that, all of us who tend to be timid should know that God has given us the spirit of power. Without that spirit of power, the kingdom of God will not advance. The devil is an enemy and he doesn’t want it to advance.
God’s purpose for us as His ministers is not for us to make more money. It’s not for us to enjoy being entertained. It’s not for us to be comfortable. It is to confront the demonic challenges for the sake of advancing His kingdom, so that the people will be rescued from the life of spiritual slavery. So, fear and timidity will not help us to achieve God’s purpose in extending His kingdom, and we will need to abandon it. So, God wants us’—each who have trusted in the Lord’—to experience His power and go forward in God’s power, and to go on loving the people he is serving, and then to approach issues with a calm, thinking, disciplined life. So, that way you are able to overcome your fear and yet not become emotional as you deal with the people that you are confronting who need to hear that they are taking the wrong direction.
May the Lord help us to understand that this prayer as instruction of Paul is also an instruction to us. What is he instructing Timothy? Fan the gift. You have a gift but it’s not visible; it’s not benefiting the kingdom. How did you get it? Remember the laying on of hands. Then he is also being told: if you really have the Spirit of God, like I know you do, He does not give you timidity. He gives you three things: power, love and self-discipline or sound mind. May that be true for all of us as we seek to serve the Lord.