Can I take you back 56 years? In September 1970, I arrived as a 21-year-old student at Regent College. It was a delight to spend a year immersed in Regent College as one of the first four full-time students.
It was a very special year: my time at Regent began to fan into flame a sense of what might be the calling for me as a young Christian. I am so grateful to those who had caught the vision for the College and had the energy and commitment to turn the idea of the College into reality.
The time at Regent inspired me to begin to think about what it meant to be a Christian involved in the secular world. The year provided a biblical and theological foundation for a first career working in the UK Government and a second career coaching leaders and teams across six continents.
For the last two weeks I have had the privilege of teaching on a Regent MA programme on theology, leadership, and society.
We start the module with the words of advice from Paul, the experienced apostle, to Timothy, the emerging leader, "to fan into flame the gift of God that is within you." These words of advice are equally relevant to us whatever our age.
Following our time here this summer we are all about to enter the next phase of life, touched and hopefully inspired by what we have experienced in our journey of learning at Regent.
Paul writing his second letter to Timothy says to Timothy, "I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is within you through the laying on of hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline."
Let us unpack the messages within this advice. The encouragement of Paul to Timothy is:
- I remind you to
- Acknowledge the gift of God in you and to
- Fan into flame the gift of God in you
Three interconnected points. Paul is very direct in using the word "you." Paul is reminding Timothy of Timothy’s responsibility to own his own situation and opportunities. Paul is emphasizing to Timothy that he has the responsibility to recognize the gifts God has given him and to fan the gift of God in him into flame.
Timothy was being encouraged to recognize and own his gifting. Timothy was being asked to take responsibility to use the gifting God had given him. Paul then uses the visual image of inviting Timothy to fan into flame the gifting God had given him.
The phrase about recognizing the gifts of God "in you" is very pertinent when we are studying at Regent. Sometimes God’s gifts are deeply embedded within in us and only gradually surface.
Many of the students I have been engaging with over the last two weeks are in mid-career and thinking into their next phase of life. Part of our journey together this week is to reflect on what might be God’s giftings within us: gifts that can now be surfaced and developed in the next phase of life.
We often do not fully appreciate the giftings within us. We need others to recognize and affirm those gifts. We often need others to help us to develop those gifts deeply embedded within us.
In verse 7, Paul is reminding Timothy that the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid. Paul is not suggesting to Timothy that he becomes foolhardy, insensitive, or crass. But he is inviting Timothy to be willing to say and do what he believes needs to be said or done.
Perhaps there is good timidity and unhelpful timidity. Good timidity is about listening carefully and choosing words and actions wisely. Bad timidity might be continually avoiding what needs to be addressed.
Paul then reminds Timothy that the Spirit God gave us gives us power, love, and self-discipline. The power Paul is talking about is not dictatorial power or self-interest. Paul is reminding Timothy that he can be influential. It is a helpful reminder to us that we often can have influence which is greater than we think. People will more readily listen to our perspective or advice than we assume they will.
Through our presence we cast a shadow, which might be a shadow of encouragement or a shadow of gloom. Our very presence and the words we choose can bring hope or possibilities into a conversation or situation. Through the way we engage, encourage, and enthuse we can be a more powerful influence than we expect.
Paul’s words are a reminder that we can bring a valuable influence when we use our voice wisely. A voice that is looking forward and not backwards. A voice that sees hope and opportunity, and not a voice of defeatism and blame. You all know people whose voices lifts a room or whose voice fills a room with gloom. We have choices about the voice we bring.
Paul talks of the Spirit of God giving us love. A love that brings supportive encouragement. A practical love that listens well and that is compassionate, forgiving, and enabling. But also a love that is stretching and sometimes challenging.
Love that brings justice, speaks truth, and holds people to account. Love that is kind and is willing to set expectations and be honest in reviewing what has gone wrong.
Paul also talks of the Spirit of God giving us self-discipline. This is a reminder for us to make choices responsibly. To take responsibility to look after our wellbeing. To build resilience. To sometimes say yes and sometimes no.
To shape our contributions and to push back when expectations need to be revised. To seek to build peer to peer honest engagement so that truth can be spoken within open and supportive engagements.
Can I invite you to have in the back of your minds the advice from Paul to Timothy this week? In particular, it might be timely to reflect on one of the questions that this passage prompts.
1. When can timidity be unhelpful? Perhaps something this week will prompt us about when we could be bolder and less hesitant or timid.
2. What is the shadow we cast and the influence we bring? Where can we cast a protective shadow and enable someone to regroup and be bolder? Where can we influence in a way which helps others to see what might be possible?
3. What is a truth that needs to be addressed? With the benefit of distance from our daily routine, some situations may become clearer in our hearts and minds. Perhaps situations where words of truth need to be spoken carefully and thoughtfully.
4. What is God’s gift in us that might be fanned into flame? It might be a gift we are only beginning to recognize. It may be a gift that our friends have known has been there a long time and is only now beginning to appear.
We are all about to enter our next phase of life. If we are apprehensive, can we reframe that apprehension into a touch of excitement about what might be ahead?
If we are feeling a touch timid, can we reshape our narrative knowing that the Spirit of God within us gives us power, love, and self-control?
If we are a touch gloomy about the future, may the words of Paul to Timothy refresh and ready us for the journey ahead.