Using Your Gifts

“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” (II Timothy 1:6-7 NIV)

Every day I interact with students who struggle to do what God calls them to do, whether that be sharing their faith with others, loving people unlike themselves, or being able to manage their time in a way that enables them to live more stress-free, and thus more productive, lives. They remind me of my own struggles while their age.  

It is believed Timothy was a young man in his 20’s when he became a protégé of Paul.  He was given charge of overseeing a church—a huge responsibility for one so young.  Yet, it appears he was very effective.  I think following this bit of wisdom from Paul may be the reason why.

Timothy had been given the gift of evangelism (II Timothy 4:5) and Paul told him to put himself in situations to use that gift.  Sharing our faith with others can be particularly intimidating, but Paul reminds Timothy that the Spirit of God can give us power to overcome our fears.  

The lessons here are two-fold regardless of what spiritual gifts we are given.  First, we must put ourselves in positions to use them.  If we have a gift of service, then we need to seek opportunities to serve.  If it is a gift of administration, then we need to pursue opportunities to organize for the sake of the Kingdom.  By doing so, by using our gifts, we strengthen them and make them more effective.  Secondly, it is the Spirit of God that gives us the power to accomplish things with our gifts and to do the will of God.  Far too often, we believe we must do things out of our own strength.   I see this with students all the time.  They burn out, they fail because they try to do things on their own without calling on the Spirit of God for help.

Though Timothy was young, he followed Paul’s counsel and was very effective.  Regardless of our age, we, too, can benefit from his words of wisdom.  If we want to live lives that are successful in doing Kingdom work, we need to be intentional about using the gifts given us and rely on the Holy Spirit for the power to be effective.  We simply cannot do it on our own.

Today, consider what gifts you have and begin putting them to use for the work of God’s Kingdom.  But remember, it is only through God’s Spirit that you will have the power to use them effectively.  

© Jim Musser 2018