Fanning 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 (ESV) I feel like Paul personally wrote 2 Timothy 1:6 to me! Actually, he talks to Timothy here. He urges him to fan into flame his gift.  This has been the message that God is speaking to me lately, fanning into flame the gifts He has entrusted not only to me as an individual but to my whole family.  Fanning requires intentionality.  Once I know the gifts in me, I need to nurture them and use them for God's purposes, not for my own ambition. Not only am I thinking of myself, but as a wife and mother, I also support the individual gifts of my husband and son so that they will be encouraged to fully use their own gifts.  As a family, just the three of us, we had our "Fanning the Flame" retreat last month, identifying our gifts and the next steps we need to intentionally do to serve God. Our family verse is Joshua 24:15 "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." We sat down together after our picnic lunch at a riverfront park overlooking Wisconsin River in Wisconsin Dells where we always go fishing every year.   We focused more on our son's gifts and told him God uniquely created him and that he was given gifts to give glory to God in his generation.  As parents, it is one of our responsibilities to observe the gifts that our children have so that we can support, encourage and inspire them as they joyfully serve God and His purposes. It is a priceless legacy we can leave to them more than anything else.  As they love the Lord with all their heart, mind, soul and strength, everything in their  life will fall into the best place God has prepared for them in line with what God created them to be. But the gifts should be nurtured and fanned into flame just as Paul instructed Timothy. REFLECTION: Romans 12:4-8 identifies some of those gifts: For as in one body we have many members,and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;  if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching;  the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads,with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. (ESV) The spiritual gifts are also mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,  to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,  to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.  All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. (ESV) Do you know what your spiritual gift or gifts are?  If so, are you using them for God's purposes?  If not, pray that God will reveal it to you. He will lead and guide you.