2 Timothy 1:5-6

“I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your

grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues

strong in you. This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave

you when I laid my hands on you.”

When I was a boy, one of the great pleasures of Saturday afternoons was that I would

light a bonfire with my dad. I came to love the smell of bonfires, probably because it

reminded me of those happy moments. The greatest pleasure of all was the process of

getting the fire going. Sometimes we struggled, but then by fanning the flames carefully

we would have the joy of seeing the fire take hold. Paul used this image to speak of his

longing for Timothy’s faith to grow. It wasn’t enough that he had a godly grandmother

and mother. He needed to have a strong faith himself, so the flames needed to be

carefully fanned.

Through the centuries, many people seem to have looked at Christianity as a club, as if

all that matters is being a member because then you will have your ticket for heaven.

However, the New Testament presents Christian faith as something very different. It

depends upon a personal relationship with God. Because it’s a relationship, and no

relationship can stand still, it is either getting stronger or weaker. That was very much

the apostle Paul’s thinking. He was determined that his young friend Timothy should

grow in faith, and that wasn’t going to happen without determination and careful

planning.

I wonder what you are doing to fan the flames of your faith. We all have a different

relationship with God, so I can’t suggest only one way of achieving this, but here are

some great ways of fanning the flames: spending time with God has to be number one.

Setting aside time to read the Bible, to pray and to reflect is incredibly valuable. Give

yourself enough space and time to listen to God. It is also important to spend time with

other Christians. Worshipping with them is great, but so too is talking with them. When

we go it alone, we can easily assume that we are the only ones with temptations and

problems to face, but when we have an honest relationship with Christian brothers and

sisters, we soon discover that we are all in it together.

Question

What are you going to do to fan the flames of your faith over the next month?

Prayer

Loving God, thank you that love me so much that you want my relationship with you to

become stronger. Help me to take steps to make that happen. Amen