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Stir up your faith!

“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you….. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Timothy‬ ‭1:6-7‬‬‬

Paul writing to Timothy encouraged him 25 times to BE BOLD! (In Letters of 1 & 2 Timothy)

Verses 6, 7 give us insight into Paul’s response to Timothy’s timid disposition to not be bold.

STIR UP! This phrase is in relation to fire to continue burning bright. In Greek, it is to kindle afresh, keep in full flame.

I am not a fire expert, but they say, a roaring fire will quickly die out of it isn’t continued to be tended to and stirred up.

The gifts God has given us have to be stirred up in us with boldness… we must ACT and not remain passive or our gifts will die. The more we exercise and step out in power to use these gifts the more we increase and grow in them.

We are not robots… we carry the choice to partner with God by faith and walk in his power. In his kindness, he won’t force us.

Right after Paul says “stir up” he writes “God has not given us a spirit of fear.”

Fear! This is the cage that stands in the way of stepping out and stirring up our gifts. Fear is what robs us of walking in power and love and a sound mind.

Fear is the hindrance to our stirring up, stepping out, and walking by faith.

How do we get better at stirring up? I think a lot of us want to wait and feel like it first. But I think the key is to do it in spite of feelings or fear.

I love the small insight we see in Timothy of his battle with fear. We aren’t exempt from fear or timidity. Timothy wasn’t. But God has given us himself. His power, love, his helper the Holy Spirit to walk in courage and boldness.

Ask God for daily boldness and courage to activate your faith, so that you may STIR UP the gift of God in you! What a gift we are given, God wants to use us and all our weaknesses- even the shattered pieces.

Pray, Fear I hear you, I see you, I feel you… but this is not who I am, this isn’t the spirit of God so I’m stepping out despite these feelings. I have the boldness and courage of Christ. God’s calling me out and I must follow, so fear you can get behind me. Fear you no longer are the leader of my life. Increase my faith and boldness to STIR up the gift of God!

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