Stir Up the Grits
When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee… For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:5–7
The Bible doesn’t say what happened that caused Paul to write this to Timothy, his younger brother, and mentee in the faith. The young man may have been feeling down, inadequate, bashful, or even frustrated. Whatever the situation, Paul felt the need to encourage him along the journey.
Paul encourages Timothy to fan the flame, agitate the dormant, stir the pot. He reaches back to Timothy’s family highlighting the faith of Timothy’s mother and grandmother. Paul reminded him that he had the DNA of a faithful family coursing through his veins. Paul knew their devotion to God and their steadfast connection to service. Timothy didn’t have to go far to see what it meant to serve those less fortunate or know how the power of God changed lives. Yet somehow, with all of what seemed like a spiritual advantage, Paul had to admonish him to stir up the gifts.
Did you know our gifts are a lot like grits? I didn’t either! I found out the hard way that stirring grits is essential because if you don’t the majority of the contents in the pot will stick to the bottom. There are very few things that are worse than burnt grits!
During this pandemic, we are in a situation where it is easy to see the negative impacts of this virus. The lack of supplies, the frustration of being stuck at home, the inability to work, even the loss of life. If we took the time, we can see that there is also another opportunity to view this as a chance to stir up your grits. The gifts that you have allowed to lie dormant in the pantry of your life. The untapped or rarely utilized aspects of your skills that you may not like but others are dying (literally and figuratively) to see. I’ve learned that my gifts are a lot like grits. Here are three lessons that will hopefully help you unleash the grits, I mean gifts, God has placed inside of you.
- Not everyone can appreciate them.
If you deform grits by adding sugar, I’m talking to you! PLEASE STOP!!!
I watched in horror one day as a friend poured sugar over grits. I was mortified. How dare they mess up a delectable helping of grits by adding sugar? But you know what? They ate them… with a smile! That taught me a major lesson… Not everyone can appreciate the same gift the same way. One of the main reasons I recoil from using my gifts is people. I want to use my gifts only when I know everyone will love and appreciate them. The problem with that fallacy is I’ll never know if everyone will like them if I don’t use them. Secondly, I’ll never please everyone! I’d see the gifts of others and I wonder why my gifts aren’t like theirs. In doing so I was telling God, He did a horrible job in the masterpiece of me and could only be effective if He made me like everyone else. Slowly I had to learn that I won’t please eveyone. My gifts were not made for everyone to like… but there are people that will appreciate the gifts I do have.
2. Grits must be stirred.
If ever you see lumps in your grits, it’s a sign that something went wrong. The directions call for the grits to be stirred constantly. Stir them when they enter the boiling water. Stir them as the temperature is turned down. Stir them when they are about to be served. Whatever you do, don’t stop stirring the grits! The same goes for our gifts. The old saying goes, “If you don’t use it you lose it.” (Shout Out to all of us that started playing the piano, but now can’t find middle C!) We slowed down and lost our ability to play. We have to stir up our gifts or the lack of use will cause them to atrophy. Matthew 25 tells a story of three individuals that received talents from their Master. Two of the individuals used them and doubled what they were given, but one servant decided to bury his in the ground. The Master returned and eventually took the wasted talent from the lazy servant and gave it to one of the productive servants. Stir up the gifts God has given you! You will never know how your will enrich your life and the lives of others when you do! Be careful in doing so because you will have to face the next challenge… the HEAT!
3. Consistent heat must be applied for them to stay fresh.
I had to learn this the hard way. I’d been making grits for years and one day my wife entered the kitchen and begins to watch me make grits. She looked at the pot (the grits were done — and perfect!) and simply said, “You have to keep the heat on. That’s how they stay creamy.”
WHATTTT???? Keep the heat on? After all these years, I’d finish my world-famous grits and turn the heat off until it was time to serve them. And with every batch, they began to harden the longer I took them off the heat. They tasted good, the flavors popped, but I noticed the lumps began to reappear. My wife taught me that heat was necessary to keep the consistency and creaminess in the grits. When it comes to gifts, sometimes God has to keep the heat on. The heat of frustration, tension, conflict, and trials all keep us on our knees. It pushes us to adjust when we want to remain dormant and relax. However, the Good Chef understands the heat is necessary to bring the best out of us. He puts it on a temperature just above our comfort zone and when we utilize our gifts in this environment, lives are changed and individuals can see Him clearly. So, don’t shy away when life gets challenging. Those are the times where you should use your gifts to the fullest rather than put them on the back burner.
You may have to be creative with how you express your skills. It may be that the orators share their gifts via Zoom or a phone call rather than in-person communication. It may be time you write an email or even a snail mail letter where you can express your appreciation for someone else. Whatever it is, use this time to stir up the gifts. Use this time to discover what God has placed inside of you. God has bestowed upon you a unique cuisine that someone is yearning for… better yet, they are starving to see how God can use exactly what you are allowing to sit on the bottom of the pot. For someone, it may be the difference of you blessing your children and your children’s children. So stir up the grits! Don’t’ worry that there may be some that don’t like or can’t appreciate your strengths. Work to hone your skills even when the “spotlight” is off. Embrace the heat challenges bring. Watch God work in you and through you for His good pleasure!
REMEMBER… Someone is waiting for the very gift you are holding back.
Stir Up the Grits!
