Fan the Flame: How to Maintain Revival and Reformation

In writing to Timothy, Paul provides the key for activating the gift of the Holy Spirit in the Christian life, thereby initiating revival and reformation: “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. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God” (2 Tim. 1:6–8).¹

Fan the flame! What Paul wants Timothy to do is “fan into flame” his own faithfulness. The verb used here is a metaphor for building up a dying fire. Though Timothy’s faith is not specifically accused of dying, Paul does urge him now to fan his special gift into strong, unquenchable flames.

The gift of God that Paul tells Timothy to rekindle—that gift confirmed by the laying on of hands—is that of the Holy Spirit, whose attributes, among others, are power, love, self-discipline, and soundness of mind, which are so essential in leading an effective Christian life. Life will have its hardships, but God has given the Holy Spirit to face hardships and unmask the terror they may contain.

Serious business

Paul clearly indicates a definitive action. To fan the flame implies we must get close to the fire! When we commence the pursuit of revival and reformation, we are declaring war against principalities and powers. Subsequently, we should be prepared for battle with the powers of darkness.

A story is told about a village in China that had been suffering a great and protracted drought. The people waited, then went through their various rituals and incantations to bring the rain, but nothing seemed to work. Finally, a group of elders in that little village sent for a rainmaker, a long distance away. They waited anxiously for his arrival. Days later, they saw two men appear on the horizon, carrying an old, shriveled man on a modest cot. They brought him into the village and set him down.

The little man got down out of his cot, looked around, and sniffed. The elders came to him and said, “What can we do for you?” The old man said, “I will need a little house outside of town where I can be by myself in silence.” So they gave him a house, and he went there by himself. The hours went by—two hours, three hours. In the third hour, it began to sprinkle, then it began to rain, and then it began to pour. Crops that had been parched were now fed. Seeds that had not germinated sprouted. The people went to him and asked, “What did you do?” They thought he would come down into their village and perform public rituals and incantations, as Naaman expected of Elijah. The old man said, “When I came into your village and got down out of my bed, all I could feel was contention, chaos, and resentment. I had to get away to pray and be in touch with God.”

Revival and reformation

Fanning the flame for a higher level of service requires a focused mind-set. Ellen White compares fanning the flame with revival and reformation:

The time has come for a thorough reformation to take place. When this reformation begins, the spirit of prayer will actuate every believer, and will banish from the church the spirit of discord and strife. . . .

A revival and a reformation must take place under the ministration of the Holy Spirit. Revival and reformation are two different things. Revival signifies a renewal of spiritual life, a quickening of the powers of mind and heart, a resurrection from the spiritual death. Reformation signifies reorganization, a change in ideas and theories, habits and practices. Reformation will not bring forth the good fruit of righteousness unless it is connected with the revival of the Spirit. Revival and reformation are to do their appointed work, and in doing this work they must blend.²

Note that Ellen White says fanning the flame, or revival and reformation, includes four essential pillars: (1) prayer—committing to the dynamic spiritual enterprise that provides the Holy Spirit complete access to life and affections; (2) unity—voluntarily setting aside ego, personal preferences, and petty jealousies; and committing to whatever way and with whomsoever God wants to move; (3) revival—spiritual abandonment in Christ that submits to embracing an attitude of simple, primitive godliness that says, Whatever God says or indicates, I am willing to do; and (4) reformation—a crowning component that goes from just acceptance and attitude to action; I will change whatever needs to be changed in my life. The change is all-encompassing: ideas, theories, habits, and practices. Nothing escapes the searching scrutiny of the Spirit.

But keeping the fire burning becomes an ongoing job. New converts and workers are generally enthusiastic. Whether converted to a new exercise regime, vegetarianism, or a living faith with Jesus Christ, a rampant exuberance exists. The problem with such exuberance is that it takes a lot of time and effort to maintain that degree of enthusiasm for any length of time. For this reason, not many New Year’s resolutions make it past the month of March. Church services, prayer and study groups, and weekday Bible studies seem to be consuming your week, and you feel the need for some “time off.”

Maintaining momentum

Paul recognized the problem, and hence wrote to Timothy and all of us to keep rekindling “the gift of God” (2 Tim. 1:6) that we have received in our lives. What does it take to fan the flame and keep the spirit of revival and reformation strong? An upward connection, an outward commitment, and an inward control.

1. Upward connection. On our own, we are totally incapable of remaining faithful to anyone or anything, not even ourselves. The greatest gift each of us receives as new children in Christ is the abiding presence Christ sent to be among us, the Holy Spirit. Two images always seem to accompany the Holy Spirit—fire and wind. Just as all fire needs oxygen, so the flames of faithfulness within us cannot keep going without the breath of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s continued presence acts like a bellows to the flames that we tend in our hearts. If we ignore consistent Bible study, regular prayer, and witnessing, we shut down our own air supply and quench the flame of the Spirit.

2. Outward commitment. It is not enough simply to maintain our relationship with God. Until we open ourselves up to others and let the warmth of this fire spread through our family, friends, church, and community in acts of selfless service, the flames will gradually die out. We need to set Jesus’ benevolence and goodness as our example.

Jesus taught, “ ‘Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect’ ” (Matt. 5:48). He demonstrated what this means throughout His everyday life and ministry. If we nurture the flames of faithfulness within us, we must love the poor and the outcast, and be willing to turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, and give the extra coat. “The world needs today what it needed nineteen hundred years ago—a revelation of Christ. A great work of reform is demanded. . . . Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me.’ ”³ Contrary to what we may sometimes feel, our contact with others fuels our faith—as though each person who touches us brings a log to throw on the fire. The more we reach out to others in love, the higher the flames of faith can climb.

3. Inward Control. Even those who acknowledge the power of the Holy Spirit and encounter others with loving attitudes may gradually lose their sparks. To avoid becoming spiritually bland, we are challenged to practice a self-disciplined lifestyle. Paul, in his letter to Timothy, testified to the comfort daily prayer brought him. This was a discipline he practiced whether among friends or shut up in a lonely prison. Prayer is not always easy, and sometimes our own tongues cannot express the needs and longings of our spirits.

For this reason, we also need the discipline of the sanctified life. We need to keep the balance of our mental, physical, spiritual, and social faculties—remembering that “the body is the only medium through which the mind and the soul are developed for the upbuilding of character.”⁴ Spiritual disciplines are essential, and anything that dampens the Spirit’s influence must be eliminated. No flame, no matter how well fueled, will continue to burn without the input of a careful prod here and a push there. We must be willing to work our fires if we would keep them burning brightly.

Fan the flames!