Fan into Flame

            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. 2 Timothy 1:6

I walked into the chapel and saw you sitting there by yourself. You told me that you felt burnt out and that you lacked the ability to do well in all the church work entrusted to you. You know that we can do everything through Him who gives us strength (Phil 4:13) but you still feel stressed. “There just doesn’t seem to be enough time to do everything!” you said.

But my dear friend, does it bring you any comfort to know that what we need to serve the Lord has already been given to us? The abilities are in us when we come in front of God to pray and the ministers pray for us through the laying on of hands. “But I can’t feel it. I am still not doing a good job,” you said.

God does not require us to produce perfect results. All that is expected of us is to use well the gifts He has given us.

Search deep in conversation with God and ask Him to help us find that little spark in us. Then with faith, courage, and endurance, we fan that spark into flame. Fire always starts small, but as wind continues to blow over it, any small spark can eventually turn into a blazing fire.

The same process applies to perfecting our gifts. We may not be handling things perfectly at the moment and may feel that we are falling short of God’s expectations, but through persistent practice and the help of the Spirit, we will improve our gifts. As long as we continue to put all our heart and effort into loving and serving God, God will add unto us. Through His Spirit, God will help us fan our gifts into flame.