"Are You Stirring Something up?" - Part 3 - Stirring The Pot

The other night I walked into a room and a friend said, "Are you stirring things up again?" I actually get that a lot... though I'm not sure why. I began thinking about what it means to stir something up. Three things immediately came to mind. I am dealing with them in three devotionals.

A couple of days ago I looked at stirring the poop. When we dig up mess in ourselves or other people, it just stinks to high Heaven.

Yesterday I dove into the idea of stirring the potpourri, or stirring up love and good works in those around you.

Today I want to look at what it means to Stir The Pot.

Now, when I say, Stir the Pot... I don't mean in a bad way... but in a good way. And I don't mean in others...

When God created you, He implanted gifts and talents in you. Everyone has been gifted by God. Sometimes the wonderful things God planted inside of us are not easily seen. This is primarily due to the effects of sin, either the sin curse passed down through humanity, or the specific sins of individuals. Regardless, know that everyone is a pot full of blessed gifts from God. God is cooking something in you, in me, in everyone.

It is in this context that I say we should stir the pot. It would be nice if we continually flowed in the gifts and talents we received from our Creator. But the fact is, we don't... even as Christians. So there are times when you have to 'stir it up.'

The apostle Paul once wrote to a young minister named Timothy... "I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:3-7 New King James Version)

Your soul is like a pot of stew. Sometimes if we leave the pot to sit, the stew doesn't develop like it should. But if you will stir it up, you will start to see the various elements, and the meal will become what it should be. There are some great things that have been handed down to you through others, and even uniquely given to you by God.

We all stir things up. Sometimes we stir the poop, messing around with things we should leave alone. Other times we stir the potpourri, releasing a beautiful fragrance of love and good works in other people. But sometimes we need to focus on stirring up the gift of God inside of ourselves. This is done through prayer, Bible reading, acts of service, accountability relationships, and genuine introspection, allowing the Holy Spirit to highlight things in your life and then you working on them.

Today, stir the pot. Stir up the gift inside of you. This will help you stir the potpourri, and help you avoid stirring the poop.

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