Do Not Neglect Your Gifts
Excerpt from 1 Timothy 3:14 – 4:5
Whoever wrote the letter to Timothy was pretty smart. Flattery will get you
everywhere—and the idea that we have a gift in us makes us feel good.
Unfortunately, the good feeling is a lot like bubble gum. The sweet goes out
after a few chews. What is your gift? Is the emphasis on “your?” Or “gift?”
If I could tell you what my groove or gift was, in any given situation, you
need not fear that I would neglect it. I’d be much more likely to overdo it,
which is to say give it over and over again, long after it had worn out its
usefulness or gumption.
What is a gift? It is a quality of a person or moment that, neglected, impoverishes history. Some people know how to never miss missing an opportunity. Others have better timing. Some people know how to be selfish at just the wrong moment so that their self-centeredness takes on the sinking water of tragedy over time. Others know how to be quiet equally well and nurse a wound in private. Still others nurse way too much in private and could endow their families (and congregations) with greatness if they would just speak up. Thank you, ancient scripture, for alerting us to pay attention to our gifts.
Prayer
Great Giver of Gifts, we pray for a gift wizard, for a way to know what we dare not neglect, today. Amen.
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