Stir it up!

Hebrews 23-24 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,

2 Timothy 6-7 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

What comes to my mind when I read these scriptures, is a camp fire full of glowing embers. I love being outdoors and sitting out by the fire. Everyone knows that when a fire has burned for a while, the heat gets more concentrated and doesn't have a big flame anymore. The heat is still there, but the flames have gone and there are ashes atop the embers. What happens when you stir up the coals? You guessed it! The flames are viable and you get the fire going again. 

   We are to do the same thing spiritually! Stir up literally means to rekindle or revive the spark. When you feel that your gifts are dead, rebuke that thought and know that they aren't! Revive them and stir them up! When you feel that love has escaped you, don't harden your heart. Like it says in Hebrews 23, "let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works". Stir it up! 

The enemy wants to tell you lies saying that you don't have God given gifts and talents. But in 2 Timothy we are reminded to stir up the gifts of God which are IN YOU. We already have God given gifts. We are to revive them. 

   It seems that Paul knew Timothy was feeling depressed by his own imprisonment. Paul encouraged Timothy to revive 'the spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind,". This metaphor is taken from the kindling of ashes into a flame. 

   Even if it looks like the God inspired gifts in life have gone out, don't put out the fire...fan the flame! So how do we do this? We do this by reading and meditating on The Word, prayer, and the frequent actions of reviving your gifts and talents. If you are a talented musician, but you've neglected you're gifts...stir it up and play again! If you have a gift of encouragement, call a friend that is down and encourage them. Tell a worker at a restaurant that they are doing a great job! Stir up the gift! 

What are some of your gifts and talents? I want to encourage you to write your gifts and talents down and speak them out loud! Declare that you are talented and gifted. Stir up the gifts and fan the flame! 

Have a blessed day in The Lord,

Cindy Mae