Bible Passage: “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 NIV)
Scripture Reading: 2 Timothy 1:1-14
My first inclination that I might be gifted in preaching happened at age 15 in Ghana.
I was a socially anxious kid, and yet I suddenly found myself confidently teaching the Scriptures to a room of adults.
Afterward, someone exclaimed, “You might become a greater preacher than your father!” (a big compliment), and numerous others affirmed my incipient gift.
The key question of this week is how does a man find and use his spiritual gifts?
I’m sorry to disappoint you, but there aren’t any easy answers.[1] The Bible isn’t clear. The Bible does say there is a gift of leadership, for example, but it doesn’t spell out how to identify it or develop it.
When this happens, God is giving us freedom to think carefully and act responsibly.
This simple process helps:
Ask. 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 tell us to eagerly desire the greater spiritual gifts. Those chapters make it clear we can ask God for gifts. Have you ever done that? Have you ever asked someone to lay their hands on you and pray that you’ll receive a certain spiritual gift?
Try. Live courageously and try out many different ministry roles, hobbies, and pursuits. Do things that come naturally and some things that scare you a bit. Volunteer for various roles in the church and join different clubs. Start with things you think you might be good at or that you wish you were good at. Remember, there are many kinds of gifts!
Reflect. What have people affirmed in your life? What praise do you receive in performance reviews? Take time to think carefully about any places where you feel like you’re a bit better than average at something. Go out of your way to ask a few people who know you well what they think your gifts might be. The mix of your own reflection with feedback from others is the key.
Repeat. As you identify potential gifts, practice them. Learn from others with the same gifts. See what grows as you are faithful to use them.
It was almost 10 years between the day that I spoke in Ghana and the day I preached my first sermon in church. It’s been almost 20 more years that I’ve spent discovering and “fanning my gifts into flame” (2 Timothy 1:7 NIV). New gifts have also been emerging throughout that time.
Men, keep working to identify and develop your gifts. Do it for the glory of God and the good of His Church.
Prayer: Lord, if I’m honest, I really want the gift of _______. Show me how to keep developing the gifts You’ve given me. Help me to build up Your Church and to care more deeply about building up Your Church. Help Your Church to thrive for the glory of Your Name. Amen.
Reflection: The text today rightly reminds us that spiritual gifts are one small part of how we serve God in the world and advocate for His glorious Gospel. What does it look like to keep developing and maturing any gifts that you are noticing in yourself?
[1] I think this spiritual gift test is pretty good, but I think the outlined process is more important. This test might give you a practical way to begin: https://erbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Spiritual-Gifts-Test.pdf
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