I am fired up for tonight's Bible study! It's an exciting time for Christians! God is on the move and I want to be part of whatever He does!! Let's jump into the New Testament between 2 Thessalonians and 2 Timothy. We are going to read a piece of the letter Paul wrote to Timothy. Timothy is a young pastor and faces a heavy burden of responsibility in the church to erase false doctrine, safeguard public worship, and develop mature leadership. Let's see what Paul has to say!
1 TIMOTHY 4:14-16 (14)Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. (15)Meditate upon these things: give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. (16)Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
These three verses are filled with advice for Timothy. He was young and it is hard to be a pastor. There are many responsibilities and requirements that can be daunting when just starting a ministry. I believe these instructions are advice for you and I today, too.
First of all, Paul tells Timothy to use his gift. We all need to remember the gift we were given from God is not just for our pleasure and enjoyment. We must share the gift with others in our own unique way. Neglect not the gift within us! It is so important to not just shrug it off, but put it to use. It may be singing, writing, dancing, drawing, speaking, teaching..... but we must not save our gift for special occasions. We need to do something with that gift every single day!
Paul tells Timothy, and essentially us... to think about our gifts and callings. How can we use these things for God's glory? How can we minister to others with the gifts God gave us? We need to think of those things as more than a hobby or part-time ministry. We should devote ourselves completely to work in the area we are gifted in. We need to study it, and study others with the same gifts to see what they are doing and who they are reaching for Christ. Encourage others who are using their gifts in a way that honors God. And Paul shares a secret here in verse 15. He says that when we are consistent in these things, we are going to grow and develop the skills and abilities to do more, reach more, and bless more. Others will actually see the change and growth as we mature in the things God has called us to do.
It's great to do things God calls us to do. If He has called us to play the guitar, it's fun! It is a blessing to others, but even when we are alone, we can find great satisfaction in learning a new lick, or playing a song with ease we once struggled with. But there is so much more than pleasure and entertainment to be gained from using our gifts.
Paul warns Timothy in the letter to be mindful of how he conducts his life. There is a responsibility that comes with any gift or calling. We are told to pay attention to the testimony of our life, our silent witness, and to the message we are portraying to the rest of the world. What message are we sending to our family, friends, coworkers, classmates, employers, prayer partners, and acquaintances? The reason we want to think about this is so we can experience salvation and those who hear us and spend time with us will experience it too.
What is God asking us to do? What gifts did He give us? What is He calling us to do? How can we use the skills and abilities God gave us to bless others and share a message of love, hope, and forgiveness? God wants us to use the things He gave us so we can get better at it. As we develop more skills and abilities we can mentor others who are not as far along in their Christian journey and then when they grow and develop into a deeper level, they are able to take others under their wings. And so it goes. On and on, we can continue to lift others and encourage them to keep going and keep doing their best for God all the while we are moving and striving for the same. Let's just help each other make it Home!
God bless yoU!
~Bridgett Owens
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