Hammer on Anvil '

According to the notes in my study Bible, 2 Timothy is a "bold, clear call for perseverance in the gospel in spite of suffering." Throughout the book, Paul exhorts Timothy to continue steadfastly in the faith, even as Paul approaches the end of his own life.

Paul begins this letter by thanking God for Timothy, and makes mention of Timothy's "sincere faith." Then comes our text for today:

"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).

Note that this passage begins with "For this reason..." For what reason does Paul encourage Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God? We have to look no further than verse 5. Because of Timothy's sincere faith, Paul encourages him to not be lax in using the gifts God has given him.

The Lord has whispered this verse to me on a number of occasions. Perhaps He has whispered it to you, as well. We all need to be reminded that our spiritual gifts will atrophy if they are not exercised.

Maybe you're reading this and wondering if you even have spiritual gifts. I have been there. I have sinned against the Lord so grievously at times that I was sure He could never use me.

Satan does that to us, my friends. We fail, and then he begins his litany of reasons why God could never possibly use you. That's why I'm so grateful that we have the Bible. It is rife with examples of God's people who blew it big-time, yet God used them in remarkable ways to further His kingdom.

David is a classic example. He is chosen over all his brothers to be king, and uses his position of authority to snatch another man's wife. He even has her husband killed, so he won't have to be reminded that she belongs to someone else. God, in His mercy, sends the prophet Nathan to confront David (2 Samuel 12). When David's eyes are opened, he doesn't squawk about how he's a victim of circumstance. He doesn't make any excuses. His only words are, "I have sinned against the Lord." His child died because of his sin. But did God stop using David because he failed? No.

David's life is a portrait of successes and failures. In the Psalms, David opens up about many of his shortcomings, and prays for God to forgive and restore Him (see Psalm 51 for David's prayer after he committed adultery with Bathsheba). How interesting, then, that God calls David a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22). God saw beyond David's pride and his fleshly appetites. He saw a man with absolute faith in God, and a man who loved God's law. More importantly, David was truly repentant when he sinned. That's big in God's economy, friends.

Now to the point at hand. Regardless of what you have done, God wants to use you. We are not informed in today's text precisely what gift Timothy was to fan into flame, but that doesn't  matter. First Corinthians 12 tells us that we are all given spiritual gifts, and "to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good" (verse 7). Together we comprise the Body of Christ, and each of us has a part in making sure the body is healthy.

Maybe you don't know your spiritual gifts. Or maybe you know you have a certain one or two, but have been reticent to use them. Whatever your situation, I encourage you to seek God about how He wants to use you. Educate yourself about spiritual gifts if you are unfamiliar with them. Most importantly, be available to God. He has engineered things such that the Body of Christ works like a well-oiled machine when we all do our part.