Six Million… and One!

There are more than 600 million blogs currently on the internet. 600 million! Author and missionary Elisabeth Elliot wisely quipped, “…not everything needs to be said, and…there are very few things that need to be said by me.”

So does the world really need another blogger?

That’s a question I’ve been asking myself for years. Yet, here I am, throwing my hat in the blogging ring.

Why? …WHY???

Because of the many still searching.

…because of the one.

The one who just might be looking for a bit of encouragement today. For peace. For joy. For hope… For God, perhaps without even realizing He is exactly what they’re searching for!

And I could help, if I’d stop making so many excuses… If I chose love over fear, or convenience, or indifference.

The story’s been told of a dusty, remote village in desperate need of clean water, and a traveler who found a refreshing spring nearby. The traveler used the spring to quench his own thirst and soothe his weary body. But he did not share the location of the spring with the village when passing through. Instead, he assumed they either already knew of its existence, or someone else would tell them. He returned to his comfy home with free-flowing water while the villagers continued in their sickness and unquenched thirst.

The apostle Paul gave this charge to Timothy, “I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you… For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord.” (2 Timothy 1:6-8 NLT)

God doesn’t bless us with gifts to hoard for ourselves. They’re meant to build up those around us and point them to Jesus. Fear and timidity throw blankets on our gifts, causing them to smolder and die out.

But when we boldly use our gifts, whatever they may be, operating in the power and love of the Holy Spirit, we are then able to warm the world around us as the hands and feet of Jesus!

God has been opening my eyes to refreshing truths both in His Word and the world around me. The Scripture passages aren’t necessarily new. They’re just coming alive in a brighter, bolder way than ever before. And with each new discovery, I smile and am grateful for a good Shepherd who hears, and sees, and speaks to me.

But now I feel like it’s time to fan that flame a bit so it warms other hearts, too. And yours, in particular! You see, friend, I don’t believe coincidence brought you here. I firmly believe God did, and wants to encourage, refresh, and maybe challenge you to uncover your gift, even as He’s challenging me to do the same.

So what about you, my friend? Do you know what gift God has invested in you? If not, why not ask Him to reveal that to you. And if you do know, are you fanning that flame? Or hiding it?

Friend, fan that flame!

You could start simply by leaving an encouraging comment below! Maybe you could share what your gift is and how God has used it to bless others. Then someone else who stops by might be inspired to do the same. And you could set the world on fire for Jesus! Or perhaps just warm this little part of it.

But whether you leave your mark here or not, thanks for stopping by and sharing  your time and heart with me as I have with you. I hope you’ll be back! There’s always room for you here.