Stoking The Flames

"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." (2 Timothy 1:6). We talk about how the Spirit of God like a fire is burning. The disciples on the road to Emmaus remarked on how their hearts burned within them when they were conversing with the Savior. We have been commanded to be a light to the world. That light, that warmth, that burning feeling is a gift of God, but if we put a bushel over that gift, the flame is going to gutter and die out. That spark of divinity, that light of Christ comes from God, but it is our responsibility to stoke the flames, to stir up the Gift of God within us, and to share that light and warmth with those around us. The more we selflessly share our gift with others, the more fuel and oxygen we give to that flame inside us. If we have begun to take for granted the gifts we have been given, if we have neglected or ignored the guidance of the Holy Ghost, if we have through our inaction and indifference permitted the fire within us to burn down to nothing more than cold ashes and sullenly flickering coals, then we have a choice. We can continue ignoring the bounteous grace and infinite compassion of our Savior and trudge through an uncaring world, cold and benighted, scarce remembering we were once full of light and life and warmth and love. Or we can humble ourselves and stir up in remembrance the many miracles that God has wrought in our lives, and we can coax new light and warmth from the cooling embers of our neglected gifts and bring to our rememberance the blazing warmth and light of our Savior's love flowing through us and out into the world.