A message from my Brother Pete

“Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” 2 Timothy 1:14. Paraphrase: Protect and defend, by the power of the Holy Spirit who is already residing in you, the riches, wealth, and fortune which have been transferred to your responsibility.” I remember at grandma Hayes’s funeral when dad got up to speak about her. I remember he said that he once asked his mom what a man was. She told him, “A man is someone who lives up to his responsibility.” So the question here isn’t whether or not you have a treasure but rather, do you know what your treasure is and are you being responsible with your treasure.

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” 1 Peter 4:10. Not only is it implied that you have already received a gift but that it is your special gift. Dare I say then that there are no two gifts alike? In the NFL there are approximately 1600 players for only 22 positions but there are not 22 gifts, there are 1600 gifts. If a quarter back is replaced by another quarter back then the whole defense has to make adjustments because of the difference of the special gifts that the two players have. The position of quarter back didn’t change but the gifts within that position have and that changes everything.
…” employ it in service to one another…” Your gift is not your own. This may sound like a contradiction of terms but remember, the Lord is the one who sets the terms. The purpose of your gift is not so that you can get ahead. Your gift is to be used for service to those other than yourself so that the Lord will be glorified.
…”as good stewards of the manifold grace of God”. Again, to be a good steward is to be responsible with that which the Lord has already given you to use for His glory. The definition of “manifold” is “having many and varied parts, forms, or types; having an assortment of features. A pipe with several or many openings, as for the escaping of exhaust gas.” Your gift comes to you by the virtually unlimited ways and means of the grace of God so that you can serve someone who is not yourself so that the Lord will be glorified.
These verses are parallel to the parable of the talents. In the parable, money is used to symbolize the spiritual gifts that the Lord has made you responsible for. You do not have a choice to what your gift is because you already have it. The question is do you know what your gift is? If not, then you have a choice as to whether or not you will find out what your gift is? If you do know what your gift is then you have to decide if you are going to give back only what the Lord gave you, or even less, or are you going to be responsible and give back double, or more.