1 Timothy 4:14-16

Summary retelling of 1 Timothy 4:14-16

Paul warns Timothy to not neglect the gift that God has given to him – a gift that was confirmed when he was commissioned by the laying on of hands.  Paul tells Timothy to practice – even immerse himself – in the spiritual routines so that God’s work in him might be obvious to all.  Timothy is to keep a close watch on his faith and persist in his faith so that he and all who hear him might be saved.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Paul’s warning to not neglect his gift should be listened to sternly.  Think about it.  Baseball players practice every day just to maintain their level – not to mention make slight improvements.  Piano players have to practice every day in order to maintain their competence on the keyboard.  Public speakers (preachers, even!) need to practice their talent just to maintain their ability.  Why should we think spirituality is any different?  If we want to be spiritual people capable of thinking spiritually in any situation, we need to be in the habit of being spiritual!  It takes time, devotion, and hard work.

How good are you at maintaining your daily walk with God?  How good are you at acknowledging your gifts and using them publically?  Is there any way that you can include other people into your spiritual life so that they can help support you like Paul is doing to Timothy here?

Second Thought:

Paul makes a point here that growth is important.  Spiritual growth within a person is incredible for people to witness.  Mentors love to see spiritual growth in their mentees simply because it is clearly identifiable fruit from God’s hand.  Mentees love to see growth in their mentors because growth for the mentor usually implies something new for the mentee to learn.  Fellow Christians love to see growth in one another because it is encouraging that God is at work in our midst.  Growth is a wonderful thing in spiritual community – far too wonderful to keep it all bottled up!

When was the last time you were really excited about some spiritual growth of your own?  When was the last time you were excited about some spiritual growth that someone around you achieved?  How do you respond to growth – your own as well as that of others?

Third Thought:

Paul talks about Timothy’s need to maintain his spiritual for the sake of his own salvation and the salvation of others around him.  Don’t get confused.  This is not works righteousness.  Paul is warning Timothy about how easy it is to backslide.  Paul is warning Timothy about how easy it is to watch others around you backslide.  This isn’t about works righteousness as much as it is a caution to stay faithful.  God gives us salvation freely.  It is ours to embrace or reject.  Paul wants Timothy to take seriously his efforts to embrace salvation.  Paul encourages Timothy to take seriously his influence on how seriously the people around him embrace their salvation, too.

How often do you consider your gratitude for God’s salvation?  How often do you express that gratitude to others?  How often are you actively encouraging other people to remain strong in the Lord?

Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Timothy 5:1-2