Don’t Neglect What’s in You
- Bishop Keith Butler
- Jun 13
- 2 min read
Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. (1 Timothy 4:13-15)
What God put in you is not optional. God gave you gifts and callings meant to be shared with the world around you. If you neglect them, you don’t just starve yourself, but everyone you were called to bless as well. Paul explained that the gift God deposited in Timothy’s life was given by prophecy. God called it out of him before he even recognized it. However, it was released through impartation as fathers in the faith laid hands on him.
Paul provided Timothy with a model to live by as he allowed the gifts to flow through him: read the Word, give it to others, and live it clearly as you go about life. That’s what reading, exhortation, and doctrine mean. Taking time to read God’s Word isn't about checking spiritual boxes of tasks you must accomplish. Reading the Word shapes your spirit so that you can become a reservoir of strength that flows into others. You must maintain discipline in the secret place to carry weight in the spirit.
The word “meditate” that Paul used in this letter to Timothy is the Greek word meletao, which means to revolve, imagine, or visualize. You don't grow by glancing at posted Scripture memes or attending service once a week to hear a verse or two. You grow by reading the Word for yourself and allowing it to spin in your spirit until it changes how you walk, talk, and lead.
Finally, Paul stated that living this way would mean his profiting may appear to all. This indicates that it is possible to grow in the things of God so profoundly and visibly that no one can deny what God is doing in and through you. You won’t need to post or promote it. If you give yourself entirely to the gift and calling that God has given you, your results will speak for themselves.
Practical Application
Are you progressing in your faith in a way that others can see and be changed by it? Make a decision this week to turn down the noise, eliminate distractions, and engage in reading the Word, allowing it to shape and mold you.
