By Many or By Few

2 Timothy 1:6-7

I was a Girl Scout for many years and one of the things we had to learn to do was build a fire. We had to learn how to make fire starters with paraffin, string and egg cartons (back before they were Styrofoam, of course!). We had to learn how to clear the ground, find dry wood in the forest, surround the campfire with stones, and get a bucket of water for safety.

Only then could we begin to build our fire. We started with dry kindling and lit the fire starter we had made over the winter. Then we blew and fanned those flames. Once it was going enough to burn steadily we added larger sticks and finally logs.

And every day, we worked hard to keep those flames from going out. It was a large part of our day… finding more wood, banking the ashes…. It never stopped.

Today’s scripture uses the idea of fanning the flames. We usually use that phrase in a negative way today, but it is a vital part of staying alive in a culture that has no electricity! Heat, food, water are all dependent on keeping those flames burning. And it’s hard work.

So it is with our own spiritual walk. When we want to learn to step out in faith and really trust God, we have to fan those flames. We have to gather what we need, surround ourselves in prayer and support and then set out to do whatever it is we want to accomplish. And it should be as vital to our everyday survival as it was in Paul's day.

The second verse is so important for all of us to remember. When we fan the flames of God’s spirit, we cannot be timid. No matter what it is in our lives we want to change, we’ve got to be willing to be brave and willing to take a risk.

When we fan those flames, we are given power, love and self-discipline. We must realize that taking a risk in our spiritual growth is not foolish or crazy. It is, as a matter of fact, exactly the opposite. It is through the risks that we take that we become powerful, act with love and acquire discipline.

One other thought on this passage. There isn’t anything said about the outcome of our actions. So whether we succeed or fail in the eyes of everyone around us is irrelevant. It is using the gifts of that God has given us that is important.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Think about what it is in your life that you want to change – lose weight, mend a relationship, new career…What risk is involved in this change and how can you use the gifts that God has given you in this endeavor?