For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. – 2 Timothy 1:6-7
As I consider these words from Paul to Timothy, two questions stir my conscience:
1. If I were Timothy, could I heed them?
2. If I were Paul, could I write them?
God called me into His “general” service (as a believer) over 60 years ago and then into His specific vocational service 21 years later. Given all that has occurred in the last 39 years, how brightly is the fire of my devotion still burning? Am I as passionate about serving the Lord as I once was? Sometimes it feels like the flame needs to be rekindled.
Besides my own walk with Christ, I also wonder if there are any young men or women who, in the wake of my ministry, need to hear words of encouragement from my lips. Are there any “Timothy’s” who would benefit from a bit of gentle encouragement nudging them forward in God's service? Am I fanning the flame of future leaders?
No doubt, flaming and fanning go together. Those of us whose service God has prolonged into our senior years, should desire more than ever to have our faith burn with a consistent intensity and at the same time passionately pour on the fuel for the next generation in the cause of Christ.
God created us to thrive on encouragement from others. – Willie Robertson
Comments