You don’t need a new gift!

Does an unused house depreciate faster? Research in building maintenance, real-estate appraisal, and housing economics consistently shows that buildings deteriorate more quickly when they are not occupied, not maintained, or not climate-controlled. Regular human presence provides heat, ventilation, cleaning, maintenance, and early problem detection. This pattern is so well-established that many insurance companies charge higher premiums for vacant properties because the risk of damage increases significantly.

Several scientific principles help explain this; for instance, the Law of Entropy, or the Second Law of Thermodynamics, states that ‘Everything naturally moves toward disorder unless energy is put in to maintain it.’ Put simply, for my non-science audience: a house will naturally decay or deteriorate unless regular maintenance effort (input energy) slows that decay.

Neglect Not, Stir Up!

While this principle applies in many areas, I am speaking specifically about gifts. God gives each person gifts, divine endowments meant to be used. However, when those gifts are left unused, they stagnate and can even lose their sharpness or effectiveness.

This is why Paul urged his protégé Timothy, not once but twice, to take action regarding the gift within him. In his first letter, Paul said, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee” (1 Timothy 4:14). Later, seeing that Timothy still needed encouragement, Paul reminded him again: “Stir up the gift of God” (2 Timothy 1:6). Please take note of the two words: “neglect” and “stir.” I will return to them shortly.

God’s gifts do not operate on autopilot

Let’s pause at 2 Timothy 1:6 for a moment: Paul said, “stir up” the gift of God. Even though Timothy’s gift came from God, Paul still urged him to take action. God’s gifts do not operate on autopilot; we must participate in their development. Now, consider the word neglect. 

Many things can cause someone to neglect their God-given gift. Maybe, fear of what others might say. Fear that the gift is not “good enough” or “popular enough,” or simply not recognizing how powerfully God can use that gift for His purposes. This is why Paul urged Timothy to stir up the gift.

You don’t need a new gift!

It is as though Paul were saying, “Timothy, you don’t need a new house. You already have one, but you’ve let it sit unused. Clean it up, put it back to work, and life will flow through it again.” Timothy did not need a new gift, and neither do you. God has not changed His mind about what He placed in you, even if you have not been using it.

For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. You only need to stir it up. I looked up the word “stir,” and it literally means “to fan into flame.” That’s exactly what we need to do with our neglected gifts. Fan it to flame! Finally, notice something important: in 1 Timothy 4:14, Paul said Timothy’s gift was given through prophecy and the laying on of hands by the presbytery. But in 2 Timothy 1:6, Paul says, “I laid my hands on you.” We will consider the significance of this in the future, if the Lord permits.

You don’t need a new gift; just stir up the gift already within you, for the gifts and callings of God are without repentance!