It’s Time to Reactivate Your Spiritual Gifts   

Recently I explored the website of our local library to see if they had a book I was interested in reading. I knew it had been a while since I had made use of their book-lending services as instead I often buy books, receive them as gifts, or even read free copies that are available electronically. So I wasn’t completely surprised when I tried to log-in only to discover that I needed to reactivate my card. It turns out that it had been longer than I had thought since I last borrowed any books. Therefore a few days later, I drove over to the library, went through the quick and easy process of reactivation, and checked out the reading material I desired.

It seems that Timothy, the Apostle Paul’s young colleague, also needed to do some reactivating. In his case it had nothing to do with books, even though Paul did instruct him to bring some writings with him the next time he came to see Paul. Timothy’s neglect was in the area of what the Bible refers to as his “gift”. Apparently he had to guard against a tendency not to use his gift as often as he should. Paul tells him, “Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the eldership” (I Timothy 4:14). In another letter, Paul had to encourage this young man to “stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (II Timothy 1:6). In other words, “You’ve been neglecting your gift, so you need to reactivate it.”

   What was Paul referring to? We rightfully consider our natural talents and abilities as gifts from God which we need to use in ways that would please Him. While that’s true, it doesn’t seem to be what these particular passages are talking about. The Bible speaks elsewhere of “gifts” God gives those who have fully surrendered their hearts to Jesus as Savior and Lord. These go beyond the capabilities with which someone is born or some skill they’ve learned over the years. This seems to refer to special divine enablement that believers are meant to use in serving the Lord. It’s clear that Paul wasn’t telling Timothy to use some natural ability with which he’s always been blessed. Paul referred to a specific time when this gift from God was bestowed on Timothy as Paul and other mature believers laid hands on him, possibly as they prayed for and commissioned Timothy for the ministry to which God had called him. At that time Timothy wasn’t only surrendering his talents to the Lord for service, but was also receiving additional supernatural abilities to use in doing the Lord’s work.

Several passages of scripture indicate that such spiritual gifts are available to all Spirit-filled believers. We should all be familiar with what the Bible says about these gifts – see I Corinthians 12-14; Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 4:7-12. Let’s not be guilty of neglecting these special abilities that the Holy Spirit has given us to use in ministry. Yes, all of us are called to serve the Lord in some way. All of us are to be part of the ministry of the Body of Christ (the Church). Ministry is not something we leave up to a few people who get paid to be leaders of local congregations. The job of those individuals is “the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:12).

Let’s not ignore our call to serve or neglect the gifts God’s given us to do so. Stir up those gifts – reactivate them – and use them for the glory of God.