Don’t keep the wrapping paper on your gift

Scripture Read: 1 Timothy 4:13-14 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. ¹⁴ Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.

Application: What does it mean to neglect our gift? Do we do this only consciously or can we do this unconsciously? What happens if we neglect our gifts? Consider what this word neglect means:

ἀμελέω ameléō; careless, not to care for, to neglect to overlook, and so to let suffer ^{[1] [2]}

This word allows both action and non-action to play a part in the problem. We can abuse our gifts by what we do or what we don’t do. Using them with wrong motives or by ignoring their God given purpose. God has given gifts to each of His children for use in the Body of Christ; Rom 12:4-8 is just one list. He has also given “us” as the Body of Christ gifts to help equip each individual; Eph 4:11-16. We can and often consciously refuse to use our gifts, due to many excuses; too busy, not talented enough, too shy, not spiritual enough, etc., the list could go on. In doing so, we may not realize it, but we are actually refusing to care for the abilities the Spirit is desiring to equip us with and help us become more Christ like. This is seen in both the individual level and the corporate level.  As an example on the corporate level: the gift of Pastor-teacher in Eph 4 has been abuse by many local Bodies as I have observed. Instead of having their  shepherd - equip the members for ministry  as he is deigned to do, the Church has the him doing the entire ministry, while they sit and watch. In this case the Church is not “caring for” the gift God has given that local congregation. An example of the individual refusing gifts and talents given by God can be seen when we unconsciously neglect our gifts by just being lazy in ministry, or when we are not willing to learn from our own mistakes or others. When we stop learning and think we have arrived, or by not putting ourselves into a place where our faith is stretched and our gifts are used in a new way. Some may say they feel tired, so they take a “leave of absence” from ministry. 

Sadly many on RR don’t return and in reality retire! They stop seeing they have and are a “gift” and forget that they are no longer their own, but are bought with a price. Gratitude to their Savior is a lost thought. They continue to “overlook” their gifts and their abilities suffer. None of us are immune to these short-fallings, because life can throw some interesting curves and we are “flesh”. The key is to awaken from this spiritual slumber and get back in the war. Put back on the armor of God. Because our God is a very merciful and gracious Father, He will enable you to rediscover your gifts and see them used for His glory again! God has a reason for the gifs He bestowed on you. My encouragement to you is, do not miss the eternal investment He desires to produce in you. If you are a gift to a local Body, reclaim what you should be. Do not let politics or power plays keep you functioning in a way that denies your gifts! Be who God made you to be! That is where purpose, joy and peace begin, with an eternal viewpoint!

Meditation Questions: Do you know your gifts? If so, what are they? If not, why? Do you see others in the Body as gifts? What does your answer show? If everyone in the Body of Christ would use their gifts for Christ what would that look like? What would the world see? Do you think God wants you to minister till you burn out? Describe what balance is to you? What should you get from your ministry? Is that question selfish? If you minister in your gifted range what show you get from your ministry? Are you? What does your answer show?

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^[1] Zodhiates, S. (2000). The complete word study dictionary : New Testament (electronic ed.). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

^[2] Liddell, H. (1996). A lexicon : Abridged from Liddell and Scott's Greek-English lexicon (42). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.