2 Timothy 1:6 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.

I woke up this morning to my radio alarm. It was tuned to our local Christian radio program and the commentator was relaying a story of a close friend of his from the past, that was currently going through some very dark times.  Through an email this friend from the past, reminded him how he had once belonged to a good church and had had a fire down in his belly for God. He didn’t say what had happened in his life to cause him to fall away, only that his friend was now down, depressed and desperate. As the commentator read the letter he had received from this friend his voice kept breaking and it was obvious his heart was breaking too.  What I loved about this story was that this friend’s mother had once been the commentators Sunday School teacher and had taught him a verse that he would now be able to share with her son.

As soon as the commentator  finished reading the letter the Lord brought to remembrance this verse that had many years before been taught to him by this precious Sunday school teacher…. 2 Timothy 1:6,7 NIV⁶ 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. ⁷ For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

For those of us who know people that had once walked with Christ and yet for various reasons allowed the cares of this world to draw them away, may we allow God to use us to help fan their flame!  Let’s be a demonstration of the love of Christ to them and remind them how much He longs to have their fellowship. Rather than gossip about them, let’s allow the Spirit of God to move through us as we reach out to them in love and welcome them back into our lives and churches. Allow God to use you to fan the flame of faith in someone else today!