En Fuego

“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” (2Tim 1:6).

There are times when an athlete is absolutely on fire. Stephen Curry can’t miss a shot. Everything Bryce Harper hits is a vicious line drive. Tom Brady’s right arm rips apart the defense. In the words of Dan Patrick’s famous catchphrase, they are en fuego. But when this happens, it isn’t luck. These are highly skilled athletes who have worked their tails off. They’ve practiced. They’ve prepared. They’ve put themselves into position to sizzle when the moment arises. 

In a letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul tells the young pastor to do everything possible to get ready to ignite. His Grandma Lois and Mom Eunice had stacked the kindling in his life as a young man, hoping and praying for the day God would set him on fire (2Tim 1:5). At this critical time, Tim’s mentor knows it’s important to stoke the blaze. “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” (v6). Do what you can and prepare yourself for Jesus to make you en fuego.

Paul pleads with his protege because he knows his own fire will soon go out. He writes from behind bars of the notorious Mamertine Prison. The apostle is well aware he’s on Death Row (2Tim 4:6-7). As a dead man walking, he begs the young pastor to do everything possible to make it to Rome before it’s too late (2Tim 4:9, 21). He’s all alone except for his good friend Dr. Luke (2Tim 4:11). Paul writes the final letter of his life, encouraging Timothy to let God transform him into a human torch for His glory.

“For this reason I remind you” (v6). The apostle refreshes Tim’s memory about the purpose for what he’s about to say. This is the fourth time in just a few short sentences where Paul walks down memory lane. “As I remember you constantly in my prayers…As I remember your tears…I am reminded of your sincere faith…For this reason I remind you…” (2Tim 1:3, 4, 5, 6, emphasis added). He’s not getting all nostalgic and simply reflecting on the good times. Paul wants Tim to remember what God has done in his life so he’ll know without a doubt where he’s headed.

The man from Tarsus reminds Tim how his own memaw and mom stacked the kindling around him as he grew up in Lystra (2Tim 1:5). They prepped Tim for the day would God ignite the faith flame through Paul. Who did the Lord use to place flammable materials in my life and get me ready for the day He lit the match? Who am I splashing the gasoline of grace on? God is calling each of us to be an accessory to spiritual arson.

The apostle tells Tim that now’s the time for the young pastor “to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you” (v6). Is Timothy’s fire starting to fade? Possibly. When he received the last letter, Paul had left him in charge of getting the Ephesian church out of the ditch and back on the road to following Jesus (1Tim 1:3-11; 4:6-16). It’s a great reminder that we have seasons in our walk with Jesus. There are going to be times when we’re absolutely smoking for our Savior. And there are going to be days when we’re barely smoldering. Here at the end of his life, Paul is passing the torch of ministry to his spiritual son. He wants to make sure Tim’s burning white hot as he carries the Gospel to a lost and dying world. 

The phrase “fan into flame” is actually one word in the original Greek (Gr. anazopureo). It describes rekindling or stirring up a fire. This is the one and only time we see it in the entire Bible. Outside of Scripture, first century writers used it when talking about pumping air through a bellows to increase the heat of a live bed of coals. In other words, take something that’s already roasting and turning up the heat. Think blast furnace. Paul wants Tim to be en fuego.

We see that the original fire was NOT of human origin. It’s the “gift of God” (v6). We may be able to place spiritually flammable materials around someone, but it’s ultimately up to the Spirit of God to ignite the blaze. We don’t earn it. He gives to us what we could never do for ourselves as an act of overwhelming grace. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not our own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8-9). Billy Joel is right. We didn’t start the fire. It’s God’s gift to us. But according to Paul, we can raise the temp.

So what can I do to stoke the faith fire in my life? What can I do to put myself in position to fan the flames that He started? You probably already know what I’m going to say. It’s not brain science. Make sure you’re plugged into a great local church. And by “plugged in,” I mean serving, giving, and being part of a small group. This is a WHOLE lot more than showing up for a service a couple of times a month. You may have heard the story of how the Holy Spirit first fills believers at a small group meeting during Pentecost when tongues of fire flicker over every follower of Jesus in the room (Acts 2:3). Few things fan the flames better than being around others who are on fire.

We’ve all heard the other activities that act as accelerants. Make prayer a regular part of your day. Talk to God. Thank Him for all He’s done. Tell Him your hopes and hurts. Ask Him for help. For you. For your family. For your friends. For our world. Jesus’ kid brother James is famous for saying, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16). One of the most incredible examples of prayer and fire is when King Solomon asks God to show up in a big way at the brand new temple. The next thing you know, Yahweh unleashes His heavenly blowtorch incinerating the sacrifices and His glory fills the temple (2Chr 7:1). Prayer certainly stokes the fire.

God also loves to fan the flames of our faith through Scripture. So there’s every reason to include reading and studying His Word a habit. Remember, the Bible isn’t some dusty document filled with fables and myths. God personally inspired every single word as His way of revealing Himself to us (2Tim 3:16) in order to perform delicate spiritual surgery on each one of us (Heb 4:12). Luke tells the story of the time the resurrected Jesus traveled incognito with a couple of dudes headed back to Emmaus. In one of the greatest Bible studies the world has ever seen, our Savior walks through the Old Testament and told them how it all points to Christ (Lk 24:27). When He suddenly disappears and they realize just Who was talking to them, they said, “Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked to us on the road, while He opened the Scriptures?” (Lk 24:32). Maybe every Bible should come with a warning label: Caution! Contents Flammable!

Just like great athletes who prepare themselves to catch fire in crunch time, we can stoke the flames of God’s gift in our lives. We can do that using three key flammable materials. Community. Prayer. Scripture. You’ve seen those boxes that read: “In Case of Fire, Break Glass!” Well, in case of NO fire or LOW fire, bust open these three combustable contents. Before you know it, you’ll be an example of spontaneous spiritual combustion. There’s really nothing like being en fuego for Jesus.