Using My Gifts

I went up to mountains to pray and read the Word with Fidel yesterday. We actually didn't get to go up to our usual place - Fort Mountain - because we would have froze. But we did manage to pray next to a river. The sun warmed us up for a while.

As I was reading through the books of 1 and 2 Timothy, God reminded me of what I needed to do with my life. At least one way of knowing what God purposed for our lives is to look at our spiritual gifts. God encouraged and rebuked me (all at once) with these two verses:

Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.
1 Timothy 4:14
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For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
2 Timothy 1:6
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God told me I needed to use my gifts (Leadership & Teaching) wherever possible and not to sidestep opportunities to serve through their use. Admittedly, I was somewhat neglecting the use of them.
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Rather than skirting opportunities to use my gifts, God wants me to fan them into a raging flame - to make my gifts count and even explode for His Kingdom and Glory. The only way that I know how to "fan into flame the gift of God" which is in me is to spend more quality time with God in prayer and in His Word. This I plan to do and to use my gifts with more intensity for His Glory.

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