Blog Layout
You Have a Gift
Andrea Lende • March 21, 2021
I Timothy 4:14-15
You Have a Gift
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/You-Have-a-Gift-et5jlb
I Timothy 4:14-15
“Do not neglect the gift which is in you, [that special inward endowment] which was directly imparted to You [by the Holy Spirit] by prophetic utterance when the elders laid their hands upon you.”
“Practice and cultivate and meditate upon these duties; throw yourself wholly into them, so that your progress may be evident to everybody.”
Paul is encouraging Timothy to operate in his gifts.
I appreciate Paul’s urging and take it to heart as well.
There are a number of reasons we may not be fully operating in our gifting.
First, it is easy to get caught up in the busyness of our lives and not find the time to pursue our true purpose.
Maybe we felt something come upon us in church one Sunday morning or while reading a devotional, and then just as quickly forgot it even happened.
We may not even have time to discover it.
Second, we may be afraid of operating in such a special gifting.
We may be afraid of what our friends and family will think.
They may not believe that the Lord has, in fact, given us the gift of healing or prophecy or a ministry of any kind.
We may be afraid of the possibility of losing relationships with people we care about.
Third, we may feel unworthy to receive such a special gift.
Maybe we don’t think it’s possible the Lord would endow us with such an amazing spiritual gift.
Maybe we think He’s made a mistake.
There are all sorts of reasons we may not pursue operating in the spiritual gifts the Lord gives us.
But if we seek the Lord’s guidance, we will walk into God’s perfect plan for us.
Paul urges Timothy to practice so he will become better and better at using his gifts.
He tells him to meditate upon his gifts.
As we sit at the Lord’s feet in prayer and meditation, God gently shares His vision for our lives.
A willing spirit is all He asks of us.
And then He will be able use us in ways we could never have imagined.
Today I choose to operate in the gifts the Lord has given me and continue to learn more about them so I can serve God to the fullest while I am here on this earth.
May you find as you operate in the gifts the Lord has given you that God will teach you all you need to know to serve Him for He has great plans for you.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for urging me to use the gifts You have given me. Thank You for reminding me I am here to serve You. Thank You for urging me to practice in these giftings so I can learn how to serve You more fully. May You strengthen me as I sit at Your feet. Teach me and keep me on the path You have designed for me. Thank You for choosing me to know You. Thank You for choosing me to serve You. Keep my eyes on You, Father. Drown out the chaos and the voices of this world that call me in a different direction. May Your peace be upon me as I follow You. Help me follow Your peace. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I have a plan for you My child and will continue to teach you and lead you so you may serve Me more fully.
Response: Keep me seeking You, Father, as I walk into the plan You have for me.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.