1 Timothy 4:14-16 says: “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. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.”
In the scripture above, there is a great lesson on how to make a gift or talent to be profitable. James 1:17 says: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”
God is a giver of gifts. Proverbs 18:16 tells us that “A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him in front of great men.”
This is powerful indeed. A gift has the ability to open doors for the gifted to have room among the great men. We have seen greatly gifted people celebrated in every society; we have witnessed their standing before great men. Gifted people have had audience with presidents, kings, queens, influential people and so forth. Although the above is true, we have also witnessed the fall of the gifted and the shame and disgrace that fell upon them over time.
We asked ourselves, “what went wrong?” Apostle Paul was aware of this reality, that a gift alone is not enough to sustain greatness in a person. He admonishes Timothy and charges him in this manner: “Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress”
For the gift to work for you, there is a need for commitment, devotion, and dedication. Other translations say throw yourself into; be absorbed into; continually practice those things. Do not take a holiday from commitment. Child of God hold fast to your faith; commit yourself to the Lord and to His Word this festive season. Do not take a break from faith; hold on and keep the faith. Do not backslide. Continue in sound doctrine; be encouraged in Jesus’ name.
