I have been thinking a lot about Pastor Mark’s sermon this weekend - I must say, while he was exhorting all of us to achieve our God-given potential by “fanning into flame” the gifts with which we are blessed, I couldn’t help but recognize that leaders have a tremendous opportunity to help others reach their potential. So for today’s Bible Drill, I am simply going to post my notes from this weekend’s sermon, tweaking them only to point out the way we, as leaders, can encourage those we lead.
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-discipline. (2 Tim. 1:6-7)
“I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit on them!” (Num. 11:29)
What would happen if we saw each other the way that God sees us?
* Sometimes it is easier to identify gifts in others than it is to see them in ourselves - this is where leaders can play a huge role in helping others reach their potential. We can help them realize their unique gifting.
* There is no way that my faith in God is greater than His faith in me - no one believes in me the way God believes in me.
Principles for Reaching Potential/”Fanning Into Flame the Gift of God”
1. Discover your gifts (1 Tim. 4:14) - it is difficult to play to your strengths if you don’t know what they are. As leaders, we can help those we lead discover their gifts.
- supernatural gifts (1 Corinthians 12)
- natural gifts (Romans 12)
2. Throw yourself into your tasks (1 Tim. 4:15) - as leaders, we can give people a little “push” and help them gain confidence in their calling/gifting.
3. Learn from your mistakes (1 Tim. 1:12-14) - give yourselves (and others!) the freedom to fail. Our mistakes become the foundation God builds on. If we are too afraid of failure or looking foolish, our spiritual growth will stagnate. When those we are discipling make mistakes, we should help them see the lessons to learn and encourage them to keep growing and keep trying.
4. Under-promise and over-deliver (1 Tim. 1:6-7) - none of us will ever reach our full potential if we are more wrapped up with our position, paycheck, reward, fame, etc. than we are with using the gifts God has bestowed on us. Pride has a way of hindering us from growing into who God wants us to be.
5. Start at the bottom (1 Tim. 3:10) - we must be willing to start at the bottom and work our way up to greater responsibility. I love what Pastor Mark said, “Serve like a leader and you will lead like a servant.”
6. Develop daily disciplines (2 Tim. 1:7) - a mark of spiritual growth is the practice of disciplines such as prayer, study, fasting, tithing, etc. As leaders, we can help others develop disciplines by teaching and modeling them in our own lives, encouraging intentionality (e.g., using the spiritual development plan), and practicing them in community with others.
7. Stay in the Word (2 Tim. 3:16-17) - if we want to become the people God wants us to be (and to help others become the men/women God desires them to be), then we need to know what that looks like. Studying the precepts in God’s Word and the person and life of Jesus Christ is absolutely critical.
View everything as an opportunity to grow! There is no limit to what God can do in us and through us. We are called to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 2:1).
What are some specific ways you as a leader can help people reach their potential? Please use the comment thread to share ideas with one another. Let’s help each other “fan into the flame the gift of God” by devoting ourselves to learning!
This past weeks meesage was simply powerful! Pastor Mark really hit some critical topics within our leadership roles as Christians. One, there was a direct challenge from scripture towards Timothy/us (fan into flames our gifts). But then there was a direct action that needs to be implemented as leaders, see those gifts in others.
The one big truth that I took away from this area was, we ought to “give up so that others can go up”. When we do this I believe it positions us as a servant leader and it allows the individual to grow. It is a win/win attribute within the sphere of leadership. It also keeps us humbled and allows us to keep the proper focus in not being owners but stewards/managers of the talents entrusted to us.
One thing that I have prayed that I would model in this journey of Servant/Leadership is, “One is too small of a number to achieve greatness”. So, why do we go at it alone? Invite others along with you! Mother Theresa quoted, “I can do what you can’t do, you can do what I can’t do; but together, we can do it all”……..
Eric Darr
April 24th, 2008