Turn on the Fan!
"I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and you mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:5-7 NLT)
Question ... Have you ever found yourself fighting fear and timidity in your life? Okay another question ... what is timidity again??? The dictionary defines timidity as lacking self-assurance, bravery or courage; being fearful. Apparently Timothy, a young pastor in the city of Ephesus, was fighting this very thing. So Paul, his spiritual father, writes to give him some great council. (Side note ... it's so important to have spiritual fathers and mothers in your life to help in times of need. Pride says you can do it alone; wisdom says there is safety and support in spiritual parents. But that's another blog!) Where were we ... oh yeah, Paul reminds Timothy to exercise the gifts that the Lord has given him. Why? Because when you are exercising the giftings that the Lord has blessed you with, you will experience His power in new ways. Not only that, you will experience his love in greater measure. Wait ... not only that, you will be empowered to walk in self-discipline to a greater degree. You won't be controlled by fear because you're seeing God's movements in your life daily as you stand in faith. Isn't this what we all desire? That and a golf swing like Fred Couples!!
So let me ask you two questions: what are the giftings you've been given by God to use in spreading His gospel and are you actively developing them? If its teaching, where are you teaching? If it's service, where are you serving? If it's hospitality, where are you hospitaliting??? (Don't ask!) Okay ... the point is it's way too easy to get focused on temporal things of this world and miss out on those things given to us for eternity. As a friend shared with our small group last night, our lives are just a vapor, but within that vapor is the power to change someone's eternity. WOW! We can't waste our time living in fear. Get into your areas of giftedness and watch His faith drive away fear and attract Heaven's power! Don't know what your gifts are? Ask the Father. He's ready to reveal them to you.
Question ... Have you ever found yourself fighting fear and timidity in your life? Okay another question ... what is timidity again??? The dictionary defines timidity as lacking self-assurance, bravery or courage; being fearful. Apparently Timothy, a young pastor in the city of Ephesus, was fighting this very thing. So Paul, his spiritual father, writes to give him some great council. (Side note ... it's so important to have spiritual fathers and mothers in your life to help in times of need. Pride says you can do it alone; wisdom says there is safety and support in spiritual parents. But that's another blog!) Where were we ... oh yeah, Paul reminds Timothy to exercise the gifts that the Lord has given him. Why? Because when you are exercising the giftings that the Lord has blessed you with, you will experience His power in new ways. Not only that, you will experience his love in greater measure. Wait ... not only that, you will be empowered to walk in self-discipline to a greater degree. You won't be controlled by fear because you're seeing God's movements in your life daily as you stand in faith. Isn't this what we all desire? That and a golf swing like Fred Couples!!
So let me ask you two questions: what are the giftings you've been given by God to use in spreading His gospel and are you actively developing them? If its teaching, where are you teaching? If it's service, where are you serving? If it's hospitality, where are you hospitaliting??? (Don't ask!) Okay ... the point is it's way too easy to get focused on temporal things of this world and miss out on those things given to us for eternity. As a friend shared with our small group last night, our lives are just a vapor, but within that vapor is the power to change someone's eternity. WOW! We can't waste our time living in fear. Get into your areas of giftedness and watch His faith drive away fear and attract Heaven's power! Don't know what your gifts are? Ask the Father. He's ready to reveal them to you.
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