My toddler loves asking for gifts. Each time we are in a store, he is talking about the next toy he wants. As a parent, I have seen enough to notice the pattern. He wants the toy. He gets the toy. He plays with the toy…at first. Then, it sits in one of the tubs in our house and is played with only occassionally. What is fine with my toddler and his toy should not be the case for the Christian. In 2 Timothy 1, we read where the Apostle Paul has sent another letter to his protege, Timothy. After his introduction and blessings to Timothy (verses 1-2), Paul encourages Timothy that he prays for him with thankfulness in his heart (verse 3) and a joyful expectation to see him (verse 4). Yet, what is the most encouraging section in this passage is the exhortation the Apostle Paul gives to Timothy. He tells him “to fan into flame the gift of God” (verse 6). Paul is sure of this gift because he has witnessed the testimony of Timothy’s grandmother and mother. As he has seen their faith, he is sure their example has impacted Timothy to where that same Christian faith dwelt in him (verse 5). But Paul’s reminder here is not about the gift of salvation. It is about the gift God has entrusted to Timothy as a Christian leader. This is evidenced by the end of verse 6, “through the laying on of my hands”. God had called Timothy to lead His church, and Paul reminds him to not neglect and burn out but to fan into flame the gift of God. In applying that to us, we may not all be leaders in the church, but we can all be praying for our leaders. To help guide us, we can pray they would remember the truth of 2 Timothy 1:7 that God gave them “a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control”. As we pray for them in those ways, we can also be reminded the Christian life is not done in our own strength but through the strength of the Lord who equips us to conquer our fears by living in the power of the Holy Spirit, driven by the love of God, and learning to have self-control.

Reflection Questions:

1. Set a time this week to pray for your church leaders and use 2 Timothy 1:5-7 as a help.
2. How does knowing God has given you a spirit of power and love and self-control encourage you in the Christian life?