What You Don't Use, You Lose

Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 
Matthew 25:28

What you don’t use, you lose.  We know this in the natural sense but the same is true in the spiritual realm.  If you don’t use your muscles for an extended period of time for example, you lose strength in them.  If you speak a foreign language and do not use it for a long time, chances are you will not be as fluent in it when you try to go and use it.  God has given each of us a spiritual gift or various spiritual gifts.  While Romans 11:29 is clear that “the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” we can forfeit what has been entrusted to us.  In essence, God does not change His mind about the spiritual gifts He gives but we can opt not to receive them because God has also given us free will.  The Bible states, “God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues” (1 Corinthians 12:28).  God has given us many wonderful gifts to be used to help His people, advance His Kingdom, and demonstrate His glory!  There was once an interesting story about the great healing evangelist Katherine Kuhlman.  She once commented that God told her that the great ministry she had was originally to be entrusted to a man by God but that man refused to receive it.  Let us not elect to not receive the gifts of God but to utilize them for His Kingdom and glory!