14Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
15Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
16Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
-First Timothy 4:14-16 (KJV)
Each one of us, as Christians, have a gift or gifts that God intends for us to use to bring glory to Him, and help build up the church. Sadly, I believe many of us are not using those gifts that God has given to us. I think, too often, we sit on those gifts, hoping someone else will have the same gift, and they will use theirs. That's not what we are supposed to do. Paul was giving Timothy some practical advise, some that we need to listen to today.
Paul says, in verse 14, "Neglect not the gift that is in thee," Paul is warning Timothy that he must not neglect his spiritual gift. Timothy was a young minister, one whom Paul mentored. Paul was teaching Timothy about things he would face in the ministry. He warned him about things, he taught him about things, and now Timothy was going to be on the front lines. He begs Timothy to "neglect not the gift that is in thee," That gift was meant to be used. Your gift is meant to be used. Are you neglecting your gift?
Paul teaches in verse 15 how we should use our gifts, "..give yourself wholly to them;" In using the gifts God has bestowed upon you, you should give your all to the gifts. Too many of us are either not using the gift, or are just giving a slight effort to use the gift. Paul says we should give our whole selves to the gift.
Friends, are you using the gift that God has given you? Are you giving yourself "wholly to them?" Or, are you neglecting the "gift that is in thee?" Think About It.
and alternately what if your church community is not ready for the gifts you wish to share? How do we with a gift that is overflowing share it when there is no place or no one to share it with? We pour it out to honour God and pray that He will provide.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. While this article was intended to challenge those who, either don't use their gifts or don't know what those gifts are. Your points are valid. I know many pastor's who "quench the Spirit" by not allowing certain gifts of the Spirit to be used in the church. God will open doors for the gifts to be used, I truly believe that. Sometimes, though, I have come across people who try to force a gift they want, but really don't have. I'm not suggesting that in your case, so please don't hate me. Anyway, trust in God, and use the gifts He gave you, and be ready to use them when He provides opportunity.
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