Timothy was shaped by the Holy Spirit

 
2 Timothy 1:3-7 says,
“3 I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4 As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. 5 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. 6 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, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

 
Timothy had some struggles. Judging by the context of first and second Timothy, Timothy tended to be timid, weak, and lacking in maturity. BUT… God delights in using the weak and the ordinary to demonstrate His extraordinary power!

 
Every person who is saved has been given at least one spiritual gift. Spiritual gifts are meant to be used and to be given away to others. Paul urges Timothy to “fan into flame the gift of God.” We aren’t given the exact details of Timothy’s gift, but it was probably related to the gifting needed to carry out the ministry that Timothy was called to do.

 
God does not call us to a ministry without giving us the gifts we need in order to carry out that ministry. God always enables people to carry out the tasks He’s assigned them to do. Not everyone has an Apostle for a mentor, or even a godly mother or grandmother. BUT… God invests in every believer to give them the tools they need to complete the work He’s called them to accomplish.

 
Exercise your spiritual gifts
Spiritual gifting is like fire. It goes out if it is not continually refueled. Paul was urging Timothy to keep the fire alive. In fact, he was telling him to keep it ablaze! We keep spiritual fires alive by making full use of the spiritual gifts God has given to each one of us. He calls us to be passionate and unashamed in our service. Verse 7 says, “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

 
The well-known missionary, Jim Elliot, said a prayer that accurately captures the spirit behind this verse. He said,
“God, I pray Thee, light these idle sticks of my life that I may burn for thee.  Consume my life, my God, for it is thine.  I seek not a long life, but a full one, like you, Lord Jesus.”

 
Are you spending your spiritual gifts in intentional ministry to others? Sometimes Christians are under the impression that they have to wait for a job to open up at the church before they will be able to use their spiritual gifts in the ministry. Paul used his spiritual gifts to minister right there in a filthy prison cell. We have to be careful not to think that ministry work is reserved only for professionals in church environments. In fact, most ministry activity should be done by regular people outside of a church environment!

 
• If God has given you the gift to proclaim the gospel, then go find someone to tell about Jesus
• If God has given you the gift of hospitality, then invite someone over and show them the love of Christ
• If God had given you the gift of helps, then go help somebody out in the name of Jesus

 
Gospel ministry can be done for one person or two people just as well as it can be done for one hundred or one thousand, so plant spiritual seeds where God has planted you. You and I need to be fanning our gifts into flame, even if the setting we are given is not the most glamorous one. Fanning our gift into flames takes work, effort and intentionality.

 

 
Maintain your spiritual disciplines
Paul told Timothy that the Holy Spirit within him produces self-control. Again, look at verse 7, “…God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

 
This verse is an exhortation to be diligent, disciplined, and brave. Timothy must have struggled with timidity. Perhaps he was shy when it came to difficult confrontations or evangelism. Most people can think of an area of ministry that creates in them a feeling of fear and timidity. That timidity is not from God.

 
God has called you to do some kind of ministry, whether that is visiting a friend in the hospital, teaching children, making a meal, or leading a Bible study. There is no excuse for not diligently carrying out the mission God has placed on your heart. God has given us the spiritual gifts and the power necessary to complete the ministry He’s called us to do.

—
Mark Stafford
Senior Pastor