Daily Devotion for August 31, 2006

Be Faithful and Bold

 

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 God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.   2 Timothy 1:6-7

 

As a young pastor Timothy had a genuine faith in God and was blessed with the special gift of ministry. But because of his youth, he faced serious challenges to his leadership of the church at Ephesus. Paul wrote a letter of encouragement to Timothy urging him to remain faithful and steadfast. He implored Timothy to rely on his spiritual gifts.

 

 In our text today, Paul identifies three key benefits provided by the Holy Spirit that enable us to serve God boldly. Essentially, the Holy Spirit gives us power, love and self-discipline. The Spirit gives us the ability to overcome our fears and weaknesses, the desire or love to render selfless services and the self-discipline to follow the truths contained in the Bible no matter the circumstances. These timeless spiritual virtues: power, love, and self-discipline are vital for the spiritual success of every believer.
 
Like Timothy, we encounter difficulties and challenges that test our faith and impede our efforts to walk with God. Under such circumstances, we should not succumb to fear and despair. Instead, we should persevere and step out boldly in faith, relying on the power, the virtues of love and self-discipline provided by the Holy Spirit. When we use these spiritual gifts, we gain the power to succeed at all times.
 
In his book, BE FAITHFUL, Warren Wiersbe notes that the Holy Spirit is always with us, even when we fail, but He "cannot fill us, empower us, and use us if we neglect our spiritual lives". Therefore we must fan the flames of the Spirit by doing those things that enable the Spirit to work within us. God is always speaking to us through the Holy Spirit. When we let the Spirit lead us each day, we will gain the attributes of love and self-disciple, and secure the power we need to succeed.

 

Prayer
Our Heavenly Father, please guide us to open our hearts and minds to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, so that we may exhibit the virtues of power, love and self-discipline in our daily lives. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

 

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