Stir Up the Gifts - Part 2

2 Timothy 1:6-7 - 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.

We quote verse 7 all the time in the church. We did a whole series on this verse last year at Family Life Church. We preached against fear. We unpacked power, love and a sound mind. It was an awesome series with some incredible revelation. But for some reason the two verses never really tied together in my mind.

The fact that God hasn't given us a spirit of fear is in the context of the gifts He's given us.

Realizing this I've come to a conclusion: The number 1 reason that people choose not to stir up the gift of God in their life is fear. Fear is what binds people up in routine and religion. It's fear of the unknown. Fear of what people will think. Fear of being wrong. Fear of failure. All kinds of fear. And all of that fear is not from God.

God instead gave you the Holy Spirit. The giver of the gifts. He has given you the ability to stir up and employ your gifts in incredible ways. They are meant to be powerful and miraculous. They are meant to be used in love to build people and bring comfort. They are meant to be used strategically and in a way that makes sense.

Next time you are headed to church make this commitment to the Lord. "I will stir up the gift of God that I've been given. I will not let fear stop me from functioning. Somebody needs my gift."

Tomorrow I will step on stage for another 2 services of leading worship. I have the choice of staying in the box and singing through a list of songs or really letting the Spirit of God lead the church freely in fresh worship. You know what tries to keep me in the confines of my list? Fear. Every time. I get afraid that it will be awkward. I fear that the band won't follow me. I fear that Pastor Steve will be unhappy. I fear that it just won't work and I'll fall on my face in front of everyone.

But no more. Tomorrow I will choose not to receive a spirit of fear from the enemy and instead stir up the gift of God that has been given to me. I'll operate in power, love and a sound mind. I'm believing God for an incredible day in His house. And as for me, my gift will be in operation.

The revelation for me in these verses is so simple yet radically life changing. We don't have to wait for the right moment, atmosphere, or worship song to move in our gift. We actually just reject fear and choose to stir up the gift - then go minister it. It's really that simple. God never takes the gifts away. There are always accessible for use to build the kingdom of God. Why don't you decide not to go another week without stirring up your gift? The world needs it!

Any stories of the gifts in operation? Feel free to drop a comment...