Reignite

"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."

2 Timothy 1:6 (NIV)

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend a worship service hosted by the fellowship of churches to which I belong. The theme of the service centered on this theme of, Ignite. As I listened to the various youth directors speak about what it means to ignite, reignite, and fan into flame the gifts and passion within young people, my thoughts began to shift toward adults. It made me wonder: When was the last time we, as disciples of Christ, intentionally took the time to reignite the fire in our own lives? When was the last time we examined our spiritual passion, renewed our commitment to God, and fanned into flame the gifts He has placed within us? Just as we encourage the next generation to burn brightly for Christ, we must also be careful not to allow our own spiritual fire to grow dim. Every believer needs moments of renewal, rekindling, and recommitment to the work God has called us to do.

We tend to reserve conversations about spiritual reignition for those who have "fallen away." But Paul's letter challenges that assumption entirely. The dimming of a disciple's fire is not a crisis of the backslider — it is the ordinary pressure of faithful, sustained ministry lived in a broken world. Life itself is an extinguisher. Grief, disappointment, the grinding monotony of unresolved circumstances — these are not exceptional experiences. They are the norm. The question Paul forces upon us is not whether the fire will be threatened, but whether we have cultivated spiritual awareness to notice when it needs fuel.

The Greek word Paul uses — anazōpureō — literally means to "stir up" or "rekindle" a fire.  Embedded in the word is the assumption of repetition. The Spirit is not a static deposit but a living presence that requires relational engagement. Spiritual neglect is not neutral — it is slow suffocation. When was the last time you genuinely assessed the temperature of your spiritual life — not your ministry activity, but the intimacy of your relationship with Christ? Paul wrote this letter to Timothy as a spiritual father speaking into a son. Who in your life plays the role Paul played for Timothy, someone who speaks honestly into the state of your flame?