Chuck Larsen

We’ve all been given particular gifts by God. We all have particular passions, abilities, personalities, and experiences that God has brought us through in order to help us become all that he desires of us. The most fulfilling aspect of the spiritual life is to find and use the gifts that God gives us to serve others. Paul writes to a young man named Timothy and says, “That is why I remind you to help God’s gift grow, just as a small spark grows into a fire” (2 Timothy 1:6). Like the oak tree, rather than the blade of grass or the dandelion, growing something that will be significant takes time. With reference to our gifts and abilities, they need to be developed. You’ve heard it said that there are three secrets to success at developing any intricate skill. The three secrets are practice, practice, and practice.

In his recent book entitled “Outliers: The Story of Success” Michael Gladwell entitles his second chapter, “the “10,000-hour rule.” He argues that to get exceptionally good at anything, it will take 10,000 hours of practice. The examples the author uses span every discipline from computers, sports, music, to acting and many others. One of the key studies performed in this area involved violinists. They had studied three groups of violinists. The first were the elite professionals that were known worldwide. The second were professionals who played in symphonies etc. The last group was talented ones that taught or played with small groups part time or as a hobby. It was found that the level of natural talent wasn’t as disparate as one would think. The real difference was in the hours of preparation. The conclusion was (I quote) that “The closer psychologists look at the careers of the gifted, the smaller role innate talent seems to play and the bigger role preparation seems to play.” The point of this chapter, and the point I’m making is that as Paul instructed Timothy, you really need to develop any talent God gives you. And development of a gift takes time and energy.

People who are passionate about something are much more likely to devote the time and energy to develop in that area. Football players, musicians, as well as accountants and administrators don’t rise very high in their field without a passion for their subject; neither do those who attempt to serve God or to even live the spiritual life of following Christ. We are called “disciples” because it truly does take discipline. I hear people often speak about ministry “fit” strictly in terms of natural ability and Spiritual gift. These are true aspects, but they do not completely define a perfect match. Passion enough to stay with the activity is the key to real success. Without passion, many lose motivation and eventually quit. Many professing Christians fall away because of a true lack of passion for the expression of the gifts that God has given them. Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:6-7, “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, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” When Paul tells the young man, Timothy” to fan his gift “into flame,” he really means, “get passionate about it!”

 I’m sure you’ve wondered what it might have been like for you to have been born to a rich family or a famous family. I’ve also wondered what it would have been like to have been born into a third-world family and had to struggle with daily survival as many do in our world today. Regardless of what I’ve imagined, the truth is that God chose to put me where He chose to put me.  We were born into the family that we were born into. That family, not the fictional family, is important. God says it is. All the instructions regarding honoring parents, remaining faithful and loving to our spouses, and accepting responsibility for those in our household are just general expressions in the scripture that instruct us on the importance of our earthly families in God’s eyes. Once a family is formed by marriage, that unit becomes sacred in God’s eyes. I’ve heard numerous stories of how ministers have sacrificed their families in order to serve, as they say, “The family of God.” I don’t think that is honoring God.

The first and most important ministry that God has assigned to any of us is the ministry we are called to regarding our families. Paul made it perfectly clear to his young disciple, Timothy. He wrote to him and said, “… if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8). Ministry must always begin in the home. When you study the other instructions that Paul gave to both Timothy and Titus, we learn that those who are called to serve as “ministers” in the church must first have the ministry needs of their family satisfied. No one should be giving attention to others when those in their own families are suffering or struggling. That must always remain our first priority.

In that same chapter, Paul exhorts the family on the importance of ministering to its own members before ministering to others. He says, “But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God” (1 Timothy 5:4). The phrase that struck me is “let them first.” Some translations say, “of primary importance” or “the highest priority.” Sometimes we must sacrifice our personal interests and desires for the welfare of others in our family. God’s family values are such that we must always make those in our own household the primary recipients of our ministries. Then, working together, the family as a whole can serve God in many ways. One writer said, “When we submit to God’s family values, we put ourselves in a place of blessing. Any other values will soon prove to be an insufficient base for a permanent and joyful union.”

If you’ve ever watched the Discovery Channel’s series, “Alone,” you would know that it doesn’t take too long to live alone in the wilderness to find out that what you miss the most is the family you left behind. May contestants in that show will tap out early and forego the possibility of winning half a million dollars because they miss their families too much. One contestant said after tapping out early because of loneliness, “You don’t know what you have until you lose it.”