Paul was in prison, awaiting death, when he passed the torch of ministry to Timothy with these words:
‘I thank God who I serve…as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day… I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you, as well. 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 a sound mind.’
No matter what season of life you are in – joyful and productive, challenging, scary and unsure, sorrow filled, oppositional – I want to remind you, as Paul did Timothy, to fan into flame the gift of God in you!
How do you do that? Paul gives us some clues in this text.
First, let your faith be sincere – honest, real, without hypocrisy. Timothy’s mother and grandmother had a faith like this. This doesn’t mean that their faith was perfect. It just means they purposed to live in a genuine way that reflected Christ.
Secondly, draw on your spiritual heritage. For Timothy, it was the matriarchs in his life. Who is it for you? Who introduced you to Christ, discipled you, corrected you, helped you to grow in the faith? That’s your spiritual legacy! And here’s the beautiful thing: if you don’t have a spiritual legacy, you can choose to leave one!
Lastly, remember who you are! God did not give you a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind! Let that assurance breathe God’s oxygen onto the embers of your life, fanning into flame His gift inside of you!
~ Kristine Morgan
Christ Fellowship