Fan It

ENGLISH

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

You know, just like you, I have days I am a little tired and emotionally low. And at this moment, I need a little encouragement. Once in a while, I get that special text, email, or phone call that lifts my spirits at just the right time. And it's often delivered at just the right moment to lift my spirits enough to keep me moving forward.

I bet this letter to Timothy was that spirit-lifting moment. I am not sure how Timothy felt about Paul's age, physical challenges, or imprisonment, but as we know, Paul was staring down the finish line. Timothy's mentor and "father in the faith" is writing his last will—and it's to him. And Paul's note was one of encouragement and a reminder to carry on.

And he tells him "to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in him."

But what does this mean, and how do we do it?

Very simply, every Christian is given a spiritual gift. Now we have trouble sometimes believing this, but God distributes them to every believer. And sometimes, we don't invest time caring for it and fanning it into flame. We do this by praying for clarity and opportunities to use our gift. Seeking daily small opportunities to use and nourish it. And keeping our gift focused on God's purposes, not our own. And after doing this for weeks, months, and years, we will discover more and more opportunities to advance our gifts and steward them in a way that grows the mission of God.

One place where this is true for me is this daily devotional. At first, it was just something I shared with my family occasionally, but now it's a devotional that reaches people all over the globe for God's glory.

So today, don't let that gift and fire burn out in you. Instead, stoke it, fan it, and let it flame gloriously in you.

ASK THIS: What's the gift God has given you that you need to fan? (Share it in the comments below)

DO THIS: Use your gift in a small but not insignificant way today.

PRAY THIS: God, thank you for the gift you have given me. Blow on me and fan it into a glorious flame.

PLAY THIS: Matt Maher. Burning In My Soul.

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27 thoughts on “Fan It

  1. Chad Husted says:

    I’ve been praying for Team Quadzilla to reach more people, but feeling a bit stuck in making progress. This encourages me like Gal 6:9 to just keep at it and don’t give up. Be obedient, grind it out, and trust God for the results. My aim is to reach people for Jesus through a platform of wellness and healthy living.

  2. Matt Smith says:

    I think one of my gifts is “mercy”. I love music, and I love the Word of God. I have a dream of playing in a Christian band, or maybe preaching. Fanning the flame sounds good to me. Thanks Vince! You’re great at what you do.

  3. Cory B says:

    Gift of service. I was able to volunteer this morning, but I felt a bit fatigued. I’ve been volunteering a lot lately and thinking maybe I should slow down. This devo reminded me how lucky I am, how grateful I need to be and I need to keep fanning that flame!

  4. Danny Leo says:

    i love people, so God has given me a gift of truly appreciating every unique individual, and speaking the truth in love.

  5. Rex says:

    Hospitality-Invite my friend over from the bay area to have a reunion with my brother & sister-in-law w/ whom he ran a marathon with 25 years ago and provide dinner tonight. For our families

  6. TONY MASCIAVE says:

    I really wish I knew what the gift that God gave me was. I pray for him to reveal it to me

  7. Scott Lokey says:

    Thank you Vince, your words of encouragement help to spur me on to encourage others to know and love God.

  8. Dave says:

    Encouragement. Thanks Vince for all your hard work which is touching many lives.

  9. Eddie Morales says:

    Vince,
    Thank you very much for your daily devotional, encouraging and helping us to focus in our Lord.
    I pray to our God to keep you in His Grace, love and Providence everyday and His protections over you and your family.
    Peace from the Lord.

  10. Larry says:

    Great reminder & devotional today ! Be the light to those around us … fan the fire into flame!! Thanks Vince for your steadfastness – In HIM !

  11. Eric says:

    Continue to encourage all around me in these trying times and let them know that God still and always will have EVERYTHING under control. No matter how crazy the times and this world gets HE is still running the show and NOTHING happens that he isn’t directing.

  12. Sam says:

    Help my beautiful congregation share the love and salvation that goes on inside, with the outside.

  13. Tom says:

    The Spirit provides me uplifting words for the college students I teach. The college students know I am a believer and my trust is in the Lord. Our young generations need guidance.

  14. Lynn says:

    A gift of being willing to serve other’s and share Christ while serving. A gift of prayer.

  15. Eddie Ackerman says:

    God has given me the gifts of spiritual discernment and encouragement. Today, I plan on fanning my encouragement in a God honoring way.

  16. Steve George says:

    Showing the life and love that Jesus has given me to others and making sure they know it is available to them as well.

  17. Jason says:

    The Lord has given me a quiet spirit, often people will open up their lives with me out of the blue and I praise God and give Him all the glory to provide an encouraging word and plant the seed of Jesus Christ in their lives.

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