“This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:6-7, NLT)
“And the special gift of ministry you received when I laid hands on you and prayed — keep that ablaze! 7 God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible.” (2 Timothy 1:6-7, The Message)
As I continue along the same lines as yesterday, taking authority requires us to operate in our gifts. Whether we are taking authority over something in our own lives or taking authority over the works of darkness, you are most successful when you operate in the authority given to you through your gifts.
Walking in your gifts can sometimes produce fear. It can be scary to step out and do what God has gifted you with. I believe that is a common response that many deal with otherwise this passage would never have been written. When we begin to fan into flames the gifts God has given us, those flames will burn up fear. How do you fan those gifts into flame? You continue to step out and operate in them and the more you do, the more fear disappears. The more you operate in your gifts, the hotter and brighter those flames get and fear cannot live around the flames.
Fanning into flames your spiritual gifts burns up that spirit of fear and timidity and produces power, love, and self-discipline. As The Message translation says, “God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible.” He gave you gifts so that fear would be burnt up and He gave you gifts in order to take authority over darkness. The more we use our gifts, the brighter your flame gets, and the brighter your flame gets, the more it pierces darkness. As you practice this you will find it easier to command darkness to flee in your life and in the lives of others.
If you are fearful of using your gifts, begin to practice more with them. Fan them into flames and watch as those flames burn up fear!
