Don't Blow off God's Gift

“Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you” (1Tim 4:14).

Ever get a present at Christmas that totally underwhelmed you? Come on. Be honest. You know what I’m talking about. You’re hoping to open a box with the hottest toy or gadget but it’s just a three-pack of new underwear from Memaw. Sure, you’re running low on tighty-whities but you really NEED that sweet new Kylo Ren light saber. You immediately toss the undies aside and start ripping into the next package.

We don’t know if Timothy ever got new boxers or briefs, but we do know God gave him a gift. His spiritual mentor Paul encouraged him not to ignore it. “Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you” (v14). God had personally picked out the present just for Tim and given it to him. But for whatever reason, he’s apparently ignoring it. The apostle reminds the young pastor not to blow off God’s gift. Unwrap it. Use it. Embrace it. Lean into it. It is the gift that keeps on giving.

Paul has left Tim to oversee the makeover of the Ephesian church while he’s on mission to Macedonia. Kick out the con artists who’ve completely distracted folks from following Jesus with all sorts of teaching that sounds like good stuff but is really not the Good News (1Tim 1:3-7; 4:1-3). Find new leaders called overseers and deacons (1Tim 3:1-12). Proclaim God’s grace, explain God’s grace, and apply God’s grace (1Tim 4:6-16).

As the apostle focuses on his protege’s role as teacher and preacher, he encourages him, “Do not neglect the gift you have” (v14). Let’s make no mistake exactly who the gift is from. Flash back to Christmas as a kid one more time. More than once, I tore into a box to get to the present only to have my Mom ask who it was from. Oops. Forgot to look at the little to/from tag. My bad. 

Tim’s gift is from God. God is an overwhelming Giver. It’s just part of who He is. Our entire universe began with His gift of Creation. He gives us life. He gives us breath. He gives us food. He gives us friends and family. But the most incredible gift He gives is Himself. The Father gives us His Son (Jn 3:16). His Son gives us His life for our sin (Mt 20:28). God the Father and God the Son team up to give us God the Spirit to live inside every believer (Jn 14:16-17, 26; 16:-15).

Before you start thinking you’re hot stuff, you better slow your roll. You’re NOT God’s gift. Far from it. You weren’t a five-star, can’t-miss prospect He recruited to His team. He came to our rescue while we were still a sinful hot mess (Rom 5:8). As a matter of fact, Jesus saved you and me a complete gift so that we have no reason to be cocky and talk smack (Eph 2:8-9). God is the Giver. Just check the tag.

Now that we know exactly Who the gift is from and who we are as recipients, Paul tells us, “Do not neglect the gift you have” (v14). “Neglect” is the Greek word ameleo, which means to ignore, disregard, overlook, or be careless with. It literally means to not care. Just about every definition of “neglect” includes the idea of failure. When God gives me a gift, the last thing I should do is NOT not care. Pretty sure that falls into the category of “epic fail.”

Take a look at a couple of uses of this word in the NT. Jesus gives an illustration about inviting friends and family to the wedding event of the year but those on the guest list “paid no attention (Gr. ameleo)” and blew off attending (Mt 22:5). The writer of Hebrews reminds us not to “neglect (Gr. ameleo) such a great salvation” (Heb 2:3) that cost God so much. Just to make sure you’re paying attention here, when God sends out the invitation, open the envelope and RSVP ASAP! Do not pass “Go.” Do not collect $200. Do NOT ignore His goodness. You don’t want to miss out! When He gives us the incredible gift of salvation, open it up and enjoy it! Don’t be the guy who blows off God’s grace!! Seriously. Don’t be that guy.

Meanwhile back in Paul’s letter to Tim, there’s a subtle little something something going on in the grammar that’s easy to miss. The verb here is in the present imperative tense. The imperative part tells me this is a command. Not a suggestion. This isn’t just a good idea. And you can translate the present tense as, “Do not CONTINUE neglecting your gift!” While we don’t know for sure, there’s the chance that Pastor Tim wasn’t exactly embracing and using what God had so graciously given him.

Do you know how God has gifted you? Are you doing anything with it? If we’re a follower of Jesus, He has wired each of us with a unique combo of talents, skills, passions, and spiritual gifts. You have a set unlike anyone else’s. He gave them to us to use every single day. They’re not like the good china that your Mom keeps in the hutch just for special occasions. You’re not showing off when you use them. Keeping these gifts under wraps is NOT humility. It’s actually ingratitude to the One who gave it to you in the first place. Stop continuing to ignore it! Stop repeatedly running away from it! Stop blowing off what He’s given you time after time and day after day. Lean into His gift…today! His present is for the present.

It doesn’t take a brain scientist or a rocket surgeon to figure out that God gifted Tim as a preacher and teacher. In the previous verse, Paul encouraged him to proclaim, explain, and apply the truth of God’s Word (1Tim 4:13). A couple of verses later, the Ephesian young gun is to “keep a close watch on yourself and the teaching” (1Tim 4:16). Just before his execution, Paul wrote to Tim again and encouraged him to stoke the fires of his spiritual gift. “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of hands” (2Tim 1:6).

What’s your spiritual gift? Do you know? You can’t use it if you don’t know what it is. Check out several of the lists in the NT (Rom 12:6-8; 1Cor 12:8-11, 27-30; Eph 4:11). A couple of things. First of all, the Bible doesn’t list every spiritual gift. Second, there’s a good chance you have more than one. While I have a couple of others, God has graciously given me the spiritual ability to encourage others. I’m continually blown away at how Christ puts me into the position of motivating folks to grow in their relationship with Him. But there’s one little problem. Too often, I forget to do it. Sometimes, I simply don’t want to say or do something. Paul’s words to Tim provide a powerful and convicting command to me. “Do not neglect the gift you have!” (v14). 

So, really, what’s the big hairy deal about not using your gift anyhoo? God gives them to each follower of Jesus to be used, not shoved in the back of the drawer like those PJs Uncle Stanley gave you last Christmas. “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them” (Rom 12:6). And get this, your gift actually isn’t for you to begin with. It’s for the other folks in the church. “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1Cor 12:7). The Holy Spirit drops them in our undeserving laps “for building up” each other (1Cor 14:26). Just to be sure this isn’t some whacky idea Paul cooked up all by himself, check out what Peter has to say about it. “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1Pet 4:10).

When we ignore what He’s given to us, folks around us are the ones who are missing out. His gifts to each one of us keep on giving to those around us. Did you realize that we turn a fire extinguisher on the Holy Spirit when we ignore the gifts He’s given? Or as Paul writes to the Thessalonians, “Do not quench the Spirit” (1Th 5:19). They are the gifts that keep on giving.

The apostle reminds Tim about the time God’s gift “was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you” (v14). This may conjure up spooky images of some weird ceremony with candles, robes, and a crystal ball. Remember, the church elders aren’t the ones who give spiritual gifts. God is THE Giver. A better understanding of this phrase is probably “given you WITH prophecy” (v14). As Robertson says, Tim’s spiritual gift was accompanied by prophecy, not bestowed by prophecy. Earlier, Paul said he could trust Tim with this important Ephesian assignment because of “the prophecies previously made about you” (1Tim 1:18). 

In other words, God prophetically revealed His gift to Timothy at the same time as “when the council of elders laid their hands on you” (v14). The Lord used someone with the gift of prophecy (Rom 12:6; 1Cor 12:28-29; Eph 4:11) to tip off Tim about his spiritual specialty. John MacArthur teaches that God confirmed Tim’s call to ministry subjectively through his spiritual gift, objectively through the prophecy made about him, and collectively through the affirmation of the elders and the church. 

While God can and will reveal His intentions prophetically outside of Scripture, it will NEVER, EVER contradict what He has prophetically revealed IN Scripture. Test what you think He may have revealed to you prophetically with what you’re certain He revealed in the Bible. Does it line up with His revealed will of His Word? Be VERY, VERY careful when you think you’ve heard a word from God. It could well be last night’s pizza.

The supernatural news of Tim’s spiritual gift happened when “the elders laid their hands on” him (v14). Paul’s describing a ceremony when the church recognizes God has equipped and called someone for ministry. This goes all the way back to the day Moses passed the baton to Joshua. God instructed the Big Mo to “lay your hand on him” and commission Josh in front of all of God’s chosen people (Num 27:18-23; Dt 34:9). 

That ancient Jewish tradition carried over into the days of the early church. When the duties of leadership stretched the apostles too thin, they chose seven servants to assist. “These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them” (Acts 6:6). The church in Antioch laid hands on Barnabas and Paul before they hit the road (Acts 13:2-3). Laying hands is similar to baptism. It’s an outward demonstration of God’s inward activity in someone’s life. It’s the church’s endorsement. When you lay your hands on someone, you’re pledging to support them. I’ve been on the receiving end a couple of times. It’s an incredibly powerful and humbling moment to your church has your back. And that ceremony provides a vivid reminder of God’s gift to you for ministry.

What’s your spiritual gift? If you’re a follower of Jesus, His Spirit has given you a tailor-made package of supernatural power. Discover what it is. Check the lists in the New Testament mentioned above. Ask your friends, your small group leader, or a pastor. Tell them to be honest with you. There are also a ton of spiritual gift assessments you can find online and in the bookstore. If you have a particular passion for specific area of ministry, give it a try. Take it for a test drive. If that’s not it, try something else. 

Once you figure out what your spiritual gift is, make sure you don’t neglect it. Don’t ignore. Don’t blow it off. God doesn’t need you but your fellow believers do. Your church won’t run on all eight cylinders until you start using your gift. Use it. Lean into it. It’s way better than a light saber. WAY better. And don’t forget to thank Memaw for the underwear.