Be Still And Know

2 Timothy 1:5-6 When I was a boy one of the great pleasures of Saturday afternoons was that I would light a bonfire with my dad. I came to love the smell of bonfires, probably because it reminded me of those happy moments. And the greatest pleasure of all was the process of getting the fire going. Sometimes we struggled but then, by fanning the flames carefully, we would have the joy of seeing the fire take hold. Paul used this image to speak of his longing for the growth of Timothy’s faith. It wasn’t enough that he had a godly grandmother and mother. He needed to have a strong faith himself and so the flames needed to be carefully fanned. Through the centuries, many people have looked at Christianity as a club. All that matters is that you’re a member of the club and have your ticket for heaven. The New Testament presents Christian faith as a relationship with God. And because it’s a relationship, and no relationship can stand still, it is either getting stronger or weaker. That was very much Paul’s thin