Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 2 Timothy 1:6, NKJV

Last night, before our kids plunged full-on into the first day of school, we sat around the dinner table and each reflected on highlights from the summer.  It brought plenty of great memories to mind, including a few camping trips and, of course, times around the campfire.  Lots of laughter, lots of s'mores, and sometimes just the entrancing joy of watching the dancing flames.  Personally, I also enjoy getting into dad-mode to show my kids tips and tricks for building a fire and keeping it going.  Sustaining a good fire is something that requires intentionality -- a willingness to move things around, add wood, and at times fan things into flame when things seem to be dying down due to neglect or inattention.  I think this is the kind of experience Paul discerned in his young apprentice Timothy as though the passionate fire produced by the Holy Spirit in Timothy's life was in danger of flickering out (cf. 2 Tim. 1:5-7).  My guess is that we all have been or will at some point find ourselves in Timothy's shoes, and in those seasons, we all need to stoke a rekindled appreciation of the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives.

GIFT OF GOD

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God... 2 Timothy 1:6a, NKJV

In order to fan into flame our appreciation of the Holy Spirit, Paul first helps us remember and recognize that the Holy Spirit is God's gift to us.  At first glance, "the gift of God" can sound like Paul is referring to a unique spiritual gift or special ability to do the work of ministry.  At the same time, this particular phrase can have a broader scope of signifying the Holy Spirit, the gift of Himself, the gift of God's indwelling presence.  When we see the Holy Spirit as the gift of God, we realize that God is eager to be present us.  The greatest gift He could bestow upon us is the blessing of being fully present in our lives.

In Acts 8, the apostle Peter encounters a converted sorcerer who offers to pay money for the ability to pray for others to receive the Holy Spirit.  Rookie mistake.  This new believer may have appeared well-intentioned, but he missed something about the Holy Spirit that Peter quickly clarified using the same terminology that Paul does:

But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!"  Acts 8:20, NKJV

What the former sorcerer didn't realize is that the Holy Spirit isn't something we purchase or pay for, but Someone we humbly submit to and pray for.  When we appreciate the Holy Spirit as "the gift of God," we acknowledge who is in control -- we don't control the Holy Spirit, but we surrender to the Spirit's control. 

A NEEDED REMINDER

Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God... 2 Timothy 1:6a, NKJV

The incredible gift of God's presence may not be news to us, but apparently it's a familiar reality that we need a fresh reminder about.  We have a tendency to run on our own steam rather than rely upon God's Spirit, content to walk in our own power rather than the promise of the Spirit.  Reliance upon self, however, isn't a recipe for spiritual success.  When the Holy Spirit becomes an afterthought, we're trending in a direction that is far from God's calling in our lives.  Hence, the reminder.  We need to be reminded of the incredible gift of God's Spirit.  Ellen White describes the life-and-death necessity of this reminder like this:

"Wherever the need of the Hoy Spirit is a matter little thought of, there is seen spiritual drought, spiritual darkness, spiritual deterioration and death.  Whenever minor matters occupy the attention, the divine power which is necessary for the growth and prosperity of the church, and which would bring all other blessings in its train, is lacking, though offered in infinite plentitude" Acts of the Apostles, 50.

We can't afford to be negligent of the presence of God's Spirit in our lives. This is why Jesus, in His last conversations with His disciples, was so emphatic about the promise of the Holy Spirit (see Jn. 14-16; Lk. 24:46-49; Acts 1:4-8).  These are promises we can lean on, pray over, and walk in today!  May God give us the good sense to know how much we need His Spirit!

A FAREWELL TO FEAR

...for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7, ESV

Part of Paul's reminder to rekindle our appreciation of God's Spirit brings clarity about what we can expect to experience when God is fully present in our lives.  First, he tells us what the gift of God does NOT give us -- fear.  When we appreciate the gift of God's presence in our lives, we can say "farewell" to fear!  Or better yet, "good riddance!"  Instead, the Holy Spirit frees us to experience power (translated from the Greek root word for dynamite!), love, and self-control.  

I'm sure Paul could have used a whole litany of other words to describe what the Holy Spirit produces in us.  But he carefully chooses "power and love and self-control" in contrast to the fear we can send packing.  Maybe this list has Timothy's unique history and quirks in mind.  Or maybe Paul knows something we all need to hear when we're rekindling our appreciation of the Gift of God.  It's possible that at some level, whether consciously or unconsciously, we're hesitant about surrendering to the Holy Spirit.  And that hesitation may cause us to hold back.  Paul, however, is assuring us that we don't need to hold back.  Instead, when we embrace and fully rely upon God's Spirit, we can be free from the fear that comes from:

1. ...feeling unable/insecure about our ability to live out our calling.  Instead, the Spirit gives us dynamite power and divine ability to do and even change the the world around us according to His divine will
2. ...feeling like we're not enough, as if we have to earn God's love.  Instead, the Spirit pours His self-sacrificing love abroad in our hearts before we've ever done anything to deserve it (cf. Rom. 5:5, 8)
3. ...the inability to control outcomes.  Instead, the Spirit grants us self-control, a sound mind that is content to focus on what we ourselves can control and trust God with the rest.

Friends, do we know the gift of God?  It's my prayer that we each would take hold of this reminder and fan into flame a renewed appreciation of the Holy Spirit in our lives -- both individually and collectively.  May God grant us divine power, love, and self-control to fulfill His calling!