What happens when obedience to God feels risky?
In this episode, we explore the tension between love and fear — especially when someone we care about senses a calling that could cost them comfort, security, or even safety. It’s one thing to say we trust God. It’s another to release someone we love into His hands.
Looking at Paul’s final encouragement to Timothy, written from a prison cell under Emperor Nero’s brutal reign, we see something remarkable: Paul doesn’t urge caution. He doesn’t prioritize survival. Instead, he tells Timothy to fan into flame the very gift that could invite persecution.
So what gave Paul that kind of courage? And how do we cultivate it today?
What We Discuss
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The internal conflict between protection and obedience
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Why fear often disguises itself as wisdom
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Paul’s deep relationship with Timothy — and his even deeper trust in Christ
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The historical reality of persecution under Nero
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What it means to “fan into flame” your spiritual gifts
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How eternal perspective fuels present-day courage
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Why intimacy with Christ produces boldness instead of timidity
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Full Transcript Below:
Fanning the Flame in Our Souls
By: Jennifer Slattery
Bible Reading:
I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. - 2 Timothy 1:5-7, NIV
Years ago, my extended family experienced a period of panic after my younger brother told us that he was praying about trying to get a job in North Korea so that he could share the gospel. I don’t remember if the country was open to this at the time, but he hoped to teach English and use his role to build relationships that could allow for spiritual conversations. My mind immediately flooded with thoughts of him in a North Korean prison, tortured for his faith–if not executed.
I wanted to tell him all the reasons this was a terrible idea. By God’s grace, however, I stayed silent, knowing the greater danger was in encouraging him to deny God’s voice and choose self-protection over obedience. To our relief, he ultimately sensed the Lord leading him in a different direction. But that season really challenged me to investigate the depths of my belief, trust in Christ, and commitment to His mission.
I wonder if Paul, the first-century church planter who wrote the book from which today’s passage came, ever wrestled with this inner conflict. He cared for Timothy, his mentee, deeply, and appeared to be closer to this young man than anyone else with whom he worshiped or served. He even referred to him as his “true child in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2, NASB). Therefore, there must have been a part of him, perhaps a large part, that wanted to keep Timothy safe.
Keep in mind, this was during the time of Nero, one of the cruelest emperors in Roman history, responsible for the horrific death of numerous Christians. Paul understood persecution. He’d been stoned, flogged, beaten with rods, and imprisoned on numerous occasions. He’d also lost relationships with many people he’d once held dear. Plus, he wrote from a dark, damp prison cell, also known as a dungeon, awaiting a likely execution.
Considering all that, reflect on Paul’s words in verse 6 again:
“For this reason–” pointing back to his sincere faith, his rock-solid foundation in Christ. “For this reason,” he wrote, “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1:6, NIV).
Had I been Paul, I suspect my letter to Timothy would’ve looked quite different, likely filled with all the ways he could survive the evil invading the ancient world. Perhaps, had he come to me as my brother had, I would’ve remained silent (as I did regarding North Korea), but I’m not sure I would’ve had the courage and strength to tell him to actively feed the very thing that could, and more likely than not would, result in death. (According to tradition, he was in fact martyred in 80 AD, presumably fifteen years after Paul’s execution.
Intersecting Life & Faith:
Reading Paul’s possible last words to his beloved friend and spiritual son, and reflecting on my typical reactions when those I love suffer, I’m left with an important question: What enabled Paul to respond to their intensely hostile circumstances with such faith? We discover the answer when we read his other letters. He maintained a close relationship with Christ and experienced such fulfillment from that relationship that he was able to say, “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21, NIV).
His ongoing connection with the Lord and his practice of praying constantly also provided clarity and guidance for His most difficult circumstances and positioned him to receive God’s comfort. In his letter to the Philippians, he emphasized maintaining an eternal perspective, which extends beyond living missionally. This also means reading about and reflecting on all that awaits us in heaven.
According to Hebrews 12:2, that was also what sustained Christ through His horrific death and all the brutality He experienced preceding it. That verse tells us to fix, as in fasten unwaveringly, our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who endured the cross for the joy set before Him.
This tells me, the more I reflect on all the blessings I have in Christ and through Christ, today and through eternity, the greater my faith and strength to endure today’s challenges and the easier it becomes to encourage those I love to prioritize obedience to Him above all, even if that means losing all.
Thankfully, I’m not alone in my pursuit. Jesus, the One who died that I might live throughout eternity with Him, will grow my faith, decrease my anxiety and fear, and help me to be a source of inspiration, not hindrance, to those I care about most.
He will do the same for you–if you’ll let Him.
Further Reading:
Matthew 16:24-26
Hebrews 10:24
Mark 10:43-45
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