Stir Up the Good Stuff

Today, my question is: Where is your good stuff? 

Let us look at 2 Timothy 1: 4-6  

Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of the tears, that I may be filled with joy; When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.  

Paul is speaking to his young disciple, Timothy. He is telling Timothy earlier in verses 4 and 5, that he is filled with joy recalling the faith that he knows is in Timothy. He even called it unfeigned faith. If we look up the meaning of unfeigned,  it means: sincere, genuine, wholehearted. Now that is some “good stuff” to have! Timothy may have become discouraged in his faith, possibly by the people around him. People, who were putting up a resistance to what God had called Timothy to do through Paul’s teaching/ preaching.
     We all get discouraged at times. People who do not share our same Faith in Christ can be a huge discouragement. Just being out in the world around us can be extremely discouraging.  Sometimes, fellow Christians can be a discouragement to us, without even realizing it. There are so many things that can get us down. But what matters is, that we do not stay down!
     What is Paul telling Timothy to do, knowing how discouraged Timothy was? He is telling him to stir up the gift of God which Paul knows is in Timothy. By “putting on my hands” , I feel Paul is saying, ” Here I am Timothy. Helping to pick you back up again. Back to that unfeigned faith that I know is in you!”. Paul is encouraging Timothy. It is so important for us to be able to recognize our brothers and sisters in Christ when they are down. We need to (put our hands on them) encourage them. Pick them back up. Remind them of their unfeigned faith that we know is in them. Remind them to stir up the gift of God which is in them.
     We all have the gift of God inside of us. God has given each of us gifts to use for His Glory. God’s Word tells us that in 1 Peter 4:10-As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Sometimes however, when we are discouraged, we just let that gift sink down to the bottom. It is like when you add sugar to iced tea. If you don’t keep it stirred up well, all of that good sweet stuff will sink to the bottom and lie there dormant. What is left on top is pretty much tasteless. So get ahold of that spiritual gift that God has placed inside of you and Stir It UP!  How do we do that? We need to keep it moving. Don’t allow it to become so still that it begins to sink.  It takes action on your part. Get on your knees in prayer asking God to use the gift He has bestowed upon you. Get into your Bible, that God may speak to you and guide you through His Word. Stay close in fellowship at your Church, that you will be fed. Then get up and go use that gift in the way God has intended for you to use it. Activate it! Keep it moving!  Don’t miss out on all of that good sweetness that is right there in front of you!