Fan into flame
Paul stirs Timothy's gift
Paul urges Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God that is in him. The image assumes the fire is already there — a real gift, given by God, but burning low and in danger of dying down to embers. Paul's task is not to give Timothy a gift but to stir up the one he already has, to blow on the coals until they blaze again.
Much of developing people is exactly this: not installing ability they lack, but fanning gifts that are present yet dormant. People carry undeveloped, discouraged, half-buried gifts, and a leader's words can either let them smolder out or breathe them into flame. The leader who only assigns tasks misses this entirely. The leader who develops people goes looking for the buried gift and fans it — naming it, calling it out, blowing steadily on coals the person may not even know are still warm.
“Don't quench the Spirit.”
— Paul, on the Spirit's fire — 1 Thessalonians 5:19 (WEB)
Developing people is often not installing ability but fanning dormant gifts. A leader’s words breathe a buried gift into flame, or let it smolder out.
“For this cause, I remind you that you should stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”
Paul saw a real gift in Timothy that needed stirring, not supplying. A leader formed here looks for the latent gift in people and blows on the coals. The inner work is believing the fire is already there to be fanned.
Go looking for the buried or discouraged gifts in your people and call them out. Name what you see, give it room, and keep fanning until it blazes. Develop people by stirring what is in them, not just assigning tasks.
Task-focused leaders never notice the dormant gifts around them and let them die to embers. The blind spot is assuming development means adding skills rather than fanning what is already present.
Spot one low-burning gift in someone you lead. This week, name it to them and give it one concrete chance to flame up.
People carry undeveloped, discouraged, half-buried gifts, and a leader's words either let them smolder out or breathe them into flame.
Whose buried or low-burning gift could you fan into flame — and whose are you letting smolder out?