Stir up your Gift

"Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  7For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind".                                                2 Timothy 1:6-7    NKJV

Here, Paul urges Timothy to stir up the spiritual gift that was given him when he laid hands on him. That day, Paul validated Timothy's gifting, and God expected from that day, fruit to be born because of it. Timothy could not ignore this fact and, nether can we. God expects this fruit from us. We have to develop it, keep it fresh and vibrant. Notice that God expects that we stir up this gift, not Him. He has given this gifting in the first place now, it is down to us to carry it out. We will be held accountable if we fail to do this.

We are not told what particular spiritual gift we are to stir up but, it is obvious that the first point is to stir up the Holy Spirit within us. This means we have to clear out all of the old way of life, sweep it clean and allow the Spirit of God, access to our whole being. There may also be a particular gift that God has for us - pastor, teacher, evangelist or other type of ministry. God will show us this as we begin our tidying up of our lives. Of course, in a church setting, our ministry must be recognised by the body as we are under authority there. Therefore, we must remain accountable. Be mindful of Proverbs 18:16: 'A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men'. If your gifting is from God and for that church, God will open the door. If not, He may require that you move, but get counsel for this.

Once we know the gift that God has given us, we are to ignite the flame and let the fire burn within us and to whoever we are sent to. We are not to become puffed up or professional by the gifting God gives us. Just a glimpse of how Jesus handled things in Philippians 2 will give us a sound introduction. Rather than having a position of authority, we are called to be servants for Jesus. Yes there are times when we may have to use the authority given to us but, this should only be used when necessary.

If you have a burning desire within you to serve Jesus, then speak firstly to your pastor and be guided by their thoughts. However, balance this out with what you feel God wants of you and act accordingly. He may require you go for ministerial training or serve in the church periodically but, be prepared that, you may be turned down. This could be because it is felt that you are not ready yet or, that you don't fit in. Pray it through for direction, but don't rush into anything until you are sure what God wants.

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen
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