I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you.
— 2 Timothy 1:6

Based on our theology, we may argue about whether God is solely responsible for giving us faith, or if we have some responsibility to believe. However, when it comes to the gift we have as members of the Body of Christ, there is no argument: God imparts it to us, but we are responsible to “fan into flame the gift of God” which is within us; God will not do that for us!

The Apostle Paul had just spoken of the faith that was already in Timothy (2 Tim. 1:5); there was no problem with that. Now he was exhorting him, based on that faith, to exercise himself so that his gift would grow from a spark into a fire.

The apostle’s exhortation here is surely for us as well! We should not “bury our talent” (Matt. 25:25) by waiting for God to do for us what, in reality, we must do for ourselves. May we rise up before the Lord so that whatever gift God has given us, even if we feel it is something small (it is not), may become a blessing to Him and to His church.