Fan into Flame

            My first blog of 2020, how exciting! Admittedly, my 2019 had a few struggles but 2020 is off to a great start. It was like a spark was ignited. I told someone about a passion project I was working on and they connected me to someone who is doing the same thing and who is well-researched in the area. In one day, I went from jaded on my project and unsure when it would come to pass, to on-fire and counting down the days until I could launch it. A scripture I’ve connected to as of late is 2 Timothy 1: 6-7: “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. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-defense.”

             I really latched onto the “fan into flame” portion. It challenged me to ask myself what I was doing to nurture the gifts and projects God has laid out for me.

             “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2: 10)

Younger me, so confident!

             As I work to fan into flame on this project in 2020, I’m seeking God first. I’m relying on Him to guide my steps as to what actions I should take and what connections and relationships are best. I’m also doing my best to keep God first and not make my dream an idol.

              “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)

            For a long time, I believed idols were the kind you hear about in the Old Testament i.e. gods carved out of some sort of material. I thought, I’m good on that God, I’m not bowing down to anything man-made. But an idol is anything we put before God. I love this excerpt from a blog from preacher Heather Lindsey. She writes, “An idol can be anything we place ahead of God in our lives, anything that tugs at our heart more that God does, such as: possessions, careers, relationships, hobbies, sports, entertainment, goals, greed, addictions to alcohol/ drugs/ gambling/ pornography, etc. Unfortunately, God is often nowhere to be found as we zealously pursue our idols. Worse yet, the significant amount of time we often spend in these idolatrous pursuits, leaves us with little or no time to spend with the Lord...”

              So, in essence, as I pursue my project, I’ll be keeping God first. Everything I do should be unto Him.

              “Everything under heaven belongs to me.” (Job 42:11)
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            As you pursue your passions and dreams, I encourage you to check in with God and make sure you’re on His page. I’m curious to know what you’re working on! You can leave a comment below or we can chat on Twitter @Marilyn_Renee