Sienna, my Yorkshire Terrier, who weighs in at just over five pounds, is the smallest of my seven dogs. Being tiny, however, has never stopped her from keeping up with the pack on woodland trails, snowy paths, or anywhere else we might decide to go. She is also a great watchdog. Her bark, rather than being drowned out by the bigger dogs, rises above theirs to be heard loud and clear. She may be the smallest, but she is certainly not the least. She shows no timidity.
Sienna’s lack of timidity allows her to rise above her size to be a valuable and vital part of the pack, even though she is the smallest. Likewise, God’s Spirit within us empowers each of us, no matter who we are or what our circumstances may be. God makes us a vital and valuable asset to His kingdom when we live transformed lives that emulate the Spirit of Christ.
When the apostle Paul wrote to his young protégé Timothy, he reminded him not to let people look down on him because he was young, but to fan into flame the gift God had given him.
The gift that Paul speaks of is the Holy Spirit, who indwells every believer. The same Holy Spirit empowered Jesus’ frightened disciples as they hid, giving them courage and confidence on Pentecost to proclaim the truth about Christ’s death and resurrection. Three thousand souls came to know Christ that day.
Timidity and a lack of courage and confidence have been struggles for me. By fanning into flame the gift of God’s Spirit through prayer, praise, and claiming the truth of God’s promises, God has turned my struggles into victory. This does not mean that my fear was automatically squelched. Instead, God’s power enables me to rise above my timidity to be an overcomer in Christ and to have the confidence and courage to act amidst my fears.
You, too, can fan into flame the gift of God within you—the Holy Spirit. Let Him transform your timidity into confidence and courage.
Lynne Phipps and her family live on a small hobby farm in the heart of Alberta, Canada’s farming country. She has been writing devotions for forty years and never tires of the spiritual correlation the Holy Spirit blesses her with. He uses normal everyday events and the behaviors of the multitude of glorious creatures He has brought across her path to point her to the truths of God. Lynne is a devotion writer for VineWords: Devotions and More, Christian Devotions, and The Illustrator.