Stir Up the Gift of God
Paul encourages Timothy to ‘stir up’ the gift of God within him.
“That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands [with those of the elders at your ordination].”
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.” ~2 Timothy 1:6-7 AMPC
All believers receive the gift of the Holy Spirit at salvation, but many question whether they have a gift from God.
What Does ‘Stir Up’ Mean?
“The Greek word translated “stir up” denotes the kindling of a fire, as by bellows. Anyone who has ever tended a campfire knows that stirring up the glowing embers of a dying fire can cause those embers to flame up again and burn more brightly. Timothy was to see to it that his spiritual gift did not grow cold through disuse; he was to “stir it up” and keep the fire going.” [GQ]
We too can stir up the gift of God within us.
How Do We Stir?
How do we stir up the gift of God in our life? “We stir up the gift by using the gift we have been given.
- We stir up the gift through godly discipline, which produces the fruit of God’s nature in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23)
- We keep the gift ablaze by not letting our spiritual selves grow cold or, worse, lukewarm, as the church of Laodicea had become (Revelation 3:15-16)
- We fan the flames of faith by continuing to ‘keep in step with the Spirit,’ following the Holy Spirit’s direction and guidance in every part of our lives (Galatians 5:25)
- We stir up the gift by no quenching or neglecting the Spirit of God, but allowing Him to thrive in us like a living, blazing fire (1 Timothy 4:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:19)” [GQ]
Let us be faithful to ‘stir up’ the gift of God by the power of His Holy Spirit, and let us ‘fan the flame’ of His love so that our love burns bright and hot for Him.
Recommendations:
Be Still and Know that I Am God Be Still and Know that I Am God – Strength with Dignity
10 Bible Verses to Help Us Dwell in God’s Peace 10 Bible Verses to Help us Dwell in God’s Peace – Strength with Dignity
References:
Amplified Bible, Classis Edition (AMPC) Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation.
What Does It Mean to Stir Up the Gift (2 Timothy 1:6)? Published by Got Questions [GQ]. Retrieved June 9, 2022, from What does it mean to stir up the gift (2 Timothy 1:6)? | GotQuestions.org
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Every Friday, I join an online Christian writing community, Five Minute Friday. We are given a one-word prompt and write – unscripted, unedited, pure free-write – for 5 minutes. The prompt this week is stir.
14 thoughts on “Stir Up the Gift of God”
Get that inner fire goin’;
you had it once, remember that?
It was Jesus you were showin’
afore it all went kinda flat
and daily cares again crawled in
(and your buds had rolled their eyes);
you learned to tolerate their sin,
and that was beam in your own eyes.
But shake it off and stir your heart,
for now this world has need of you
to play a brightly flaming part
and, regardless, see it through
until that final hour’s come,
and Creation’s last bell’s rung.
So true, Andrew!
This is such a good reminder, because sometimes we can get complacent and just drift along, but we can’t really serve God that way, we need to press on, we need to run the race, we need to continue the journey.
I was encouraged by your post. God bless you.
I’m so glad you were encouraged, Rishie!
Great thoughts! Thank you!
Thanks, Fiona!
Lisa, the word prompt stirred similar thoughts in us both 🙂 May we continue to stir our hearts so that our love of God burns within us continually. Blessings!
Yes, Joanne, may the love of God burn with us continually! God bless you, Joanne!
A good reminder Lisa to keep the embers burning…. I need to keep fanning that flame eh?
It is a good reminder to stir and fan, Annette!
This helped me to do exactly what I’ve been thinking about, hearing and sensing the Holy Spirit more clearly. It’s almost as if we have pools of water inside and unless we “stir it up” it risks becoming stagnant. Thanks again.
That’s a great analogy, Lisa!
Lisa thank you for sharing these stirring verses. This>”Let us be faithful to ‘stir up’ the gift of God by the power of His Holy Spirit, and let us ‘fan the flame’ of His love so that our love burns bright and hot for Him” Is such an overwhelmingly profound statement with a great reminder.
FMF#19
It’s a good reminder, Paula, to stir up our faith and to burn hot in our love for Him.