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.

2 Timothy 1:6-7 (NKJV)

 

As a young pastor, Timothy had to deal with many different problems in his church. Fortunately, the Apostle Paul reminded him of the personal prophecy concerning his ministry and challenged him to "stir up" the spiritual gift bestowed upon him through the laying on of hands.

The Greek word for "stir up" is anazōpyreō which means "to kindle up" (Strong's G329) It is a compound word, “ana” means up or again, “zoon” means to make alive and “pyr” means fire or flame. In other words, Paul was urging Timothy to rekindle the passion to activate the gift he had received from the Holy Spirit so that he would not only overcome his vulnerability to fear and disappointments, but also become a person "of power, of love and of sound mind".

Rekindling your passion involves a deliberate focus on the identity you have in Christ that transcends difficult circumstances and impossible situations.

It might be tough to stay faithful to God's plan for your life at times, especially when things do not seem to be going our way or something terribly unfair, if not tragic, occurs. However, follow Timothy's example by being committed to God and not allowing what has happened or has not happened to keep you from fulfilling His purpose for your life. Just learn to trust and believe in God, knowing that He will remain true to us.