Religious insight: Ask God to stir up the gift for you

Spring has sprung and the flowers are up and blooming, the trees are bringing forth new leaves and new growth, the birds are building nests, the bears are awake and roaming the woods looking for food.

Things that were hibernating or dormant through the winter are springing forth and becoming fruitful. It is the time when the life that was hidden or asleep is making its presence known.

When we talk about the dormant coming to life and producing fruit, it occurred to me that many Christians could be considered dormant. Many of us from time to time have just hung out.

We have allowed ourselves to neglect the gift of God that dwells in us. For some reason we have lost the vision that the Lord has given us and find ourselves just existing and not really living for the Lord and not producing fruit for the kingdom of God.

Paul told Timothy to stir up the gift that is in him. Timothy II, 1: "Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands."

What this means is that the gift was there but it wasn't being used. Timothy was to take note of its presence and that it was just there not producing fruit, it was dormant.

Do we pay attention to the gift of God that is in our life already, or does it just lay there and go to waste? Is the body of Christ receiving the benefit from the gift, or is someone doing without?

The writer of Hebrews tells us in chapter 10: "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

This scripture deals with the benefits of belonging to a local church where we can encourage one another to use what God has given us to minister to each other.

What are some of the reasons that we neglect the gifts we have received? Matthew tells us in the parable of the 10 virgins that they all slept and slumbered. All of us have dozed off. Some of us are not in a place where our gifts are allowed to be used, others are never in the battle, so their weapons are dull and rusty. Many are afraid and other don't know what gift they have.

If you are a Christian and there is no apparent fruit in your life and you are just hanging out, ask God to stir up the gift in you and begin to step out in faith. Please do not waste the precious power of God.

Leo Kruger is pastor of Valley Christian Fellowship, which meets in Assembly of God Church, 974 Tillman Lane, Gardnerville. For information, call 265-8868.