I think that Paul is saying that our spiritual gifts are like the experience of starting a fire. Just because you have the gift doesn’t mean that it will by itself grow and become a great thing that’s a blessing to other people. You have to work at that; you have to fan it into flame. You have to rekindle it if necessary; you have to blow on it in order that it might become all that it should be. Paul does not want Timothy to be passive about his spiritual gift, waiting for God to accomplish his work. Rather, he wants Timothy and us to work hard at serving him and using the gifts he has given us. 

If you’re a Christian you’re already in the battle. You might be finding it difficult right now. You might feel like giving up and stopping to fight for righteousness, godliness, and those other things we need to practice and stand up for. But the Lord has put you in his army. He wants to use you. You’re either going to be a faithful soldier, or you’re going to be an unfaithful soldier. You’re either going to be a victor, or you’re going to be a failure. You can’t fight this good fight of the faith on your own, but the Lord Jesus Christ can give you the strength to be the victor. Ask him to strengthen you, and then fight on in the battle that he’s given you to fight. 

There’s a great danger in wealth because it tends to get a hold of you and control you, rather than your controlling it and using it well for the good of others. Have you ever asked the question why it seems to be that as you look out across the Christian church, there are so few rich Christians? Well, it might be that it’s hard to become a Christian if you’re wealthy. Jesus said that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, likening it to a camel going through the eye of a needle. Another thing to consider is that Christians might not make the best choices if they come into a lot of money. 

As we come to 1 Timothy 6, the last theme we will look at is that of Christian warfare. When we think of Christian warfare, our minds quickly go to another book written by Paul, that of Ephesians. There in chapter 6, he talks about being strong and girding ourselves with the armor that God has provided in order that we might be able to stand against the devil’s schemes. Now he writes along the same lines here to Timothy. 

Now beginning in verse 17, Paul has a section where he talks about elders. He says that the elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching, for the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” In these verses he talks about two things, honor and monetary support.