Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. – 2 Tim. 1:7 (NKJV)
This was the Apostle Paul’s exhortation to his young pastor-protégé, Timothy. Will you choose to declare it over your own soul over the weekend? Personalize its promise and then consider how you can act on what it says.
What does it mean to stir up the gift of God? I picture the embers of a fire being stoked; beneath the flames lie glowing embers that will burn out and grow cold if left unprovoked for a time. In the same way, Paul says, “Stoke the coals of your faith! Put these things into practice! Don’t fall asleep, but exercise the gifts that he has revealed to you!” The warning is clear: if we are to burn brightly for Jesus, we must not grow complacent.
Another thing that stands out about Paul’s exhortation is that sometimes we all need reminders from other believers, to be courageous in our stirring-up work. Who can you speak life-giving words to this weekend? Ask the Holy Spirit to bring someone to mind and give you a word of encouragement for that person. And then take a minute to shoot out a quick text or phone call to tell them you were just thinking of them, praying for them, and then share what God put on your heart.
Lastly, that we have been given “a sound mind” is such a wonderful promise! In his commentary, Matthew Henry observed, “It was through base fear that the evil servant buried his talent, and did not trade with it, Mt. 25:25.” In addition to fear, if we take the opposites of “power, love, and sound mind,” we can see how a weakness of faith, self-centered love, and restless mind may be forces that quell the gifts of the Spirit within us.
So, pray against those things! Find ways to encourage one another over the weekend. And then come ready to worship Him, and serve one another, in the Spirit of power, love, and a sound mind.
Your brother,
Ryan