Stir up the Gift of God

"Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  7For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 8Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God"                 2 Timothy 1:7-8.     NKJV

Paul wrote to Timothy by way of encouragement. He could no longer visit him as, he was a prisoner in Rome. He wanted to ensure that Timothy was in good, spiritual shape in order to carry out his duties for Jesus in top form.

We know, from Paul's comments that, Timothy had a genuine and sincere faith in Jesus. He had been taught well by his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice. So with Paul's teaching and support, He had been in good condition. However, one of the problems Timothy had was, he suffered with natural timidity. This is nothing new for some ministers, many suffer from fear, especially when they are under pressure from people who should be supporting them, not pointing the finger. However, Timothy was full of the Holy Spirit and this would compensate him for this, giving him the power and strength to succeed. 

Paul reminded him to stir up the gift that was within him. We are not sure what this gift was but Paul did and encouraged him to ensure that he kept his gifting in good shape.  This is something that we all need to do and the best way is spiritual exercise, reading the Word of God regularly and allowing God to speak to us clearly. We need to know the way forward; we need the strength and power of the Holy Spirit so that we can stand tall each day.

One thing we have to be careful of, is being ashamed of the gospel. Let me explain, embarrassment can take over when we realise that we are witnessing to someone who really knows the 'old you'. How many times have you been frightened to speak about Jesus in front of your own family because they frown on this. It's easy to water things down to try not to offend family or anyone who is close. Therefore, we bite our tongue and dampen things down a little. Think about this; how will you feel if you do this and then see them being turned away by Jesus when they reach heaven and stand before Him to give an account of their life? It doesn't bear thinking about does it?

Therefore, have a rule that whenever you have the chance, you will let them know about Jesus and leave the choice to them. We are all called to stir up the gift of God that dwells within us. Never water things down to save face, it is too important. Time is running out here on earth. We don't know when Jesus will return but, with the state of the world at the moment, it may be getting close. 

STIR UP YOUR GIFT!

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
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