How to Increase Your Gifts!

If the gifts and callings of God are without repentance, as is stated in Romans 11:29, then how can we build up our gifts so that they will be more effective? This is a question that many sincere believers ask, whether they state it aloud or not. If we truly want to please our Lord, and live out what He has called us to, then it is important to understand how to maximize that which He has given us. There are countless self-help books to try to to point you to ways to be a better prophet, pastor, teacher, etc. However, the best way is to look in the Bible itself, for God has already "given us all things that pertain to life and godliness":

¹⁴ Don’t minimize the powerful gift that operates in your life, for it was imparted to you by the laying on of hands of the elders and was activated through the prophecy they spoke over you. ¹⁵ Make all of this your constant meditation and make it real wit;h your life so everyone can see that you are moving forward. ¹⁶ Give careful attention to your spiritual life and every cherished truth you teach, for living what you preach will then release even more abundant life inside you and to all those who listen to you.. 1 Timothy 4:14-16 (The Passion Translation)

Many of us are not aware of the great gift God has imparted unto us until we get around people in the church who are seasoned and have learned how to identify up and coming leaders. There are churches where the elders of the church actually engage in ceremoniously "laying on hands" on those who are gifted in certain areas, particularly like preaching and prophesying. These elders will actually pray for gifts to be activated so that those young in the faith will get super charged, if you will, to begin on the road to their spiritual destiny.

The Apostle Paul in his instruction to his mentee Timothy tells him that the surefire way to move forward in his calling is to follow certain key steps: first, to deliberately pay attention to the kind of life that is representative of a child of God. Secondly, to live a life of truth, not only preaching truth, but living out the truth he was preaching. And then Paul states a by-product of those two things; is that the kind of life that Timothy is preaching about will grow not only in him, but in all that listen to him. What a promise to hold onto!

Think of it, as the song goes, "then my living is not in vain". God is not into addition, He is into multiplication. I might also add, with exponents attached! That which we give God, in our life of service to Him, renders multiplied blessings not only to us, but also to all those we are trying to minister to! When you think of it, receiving from the Father a direct flow into your anointing, is better than trying to attain it through divinity school, and a whole lot cheaper!

Maria