“Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” (1 Timothy 4:13-16)
Notice 4 commands Paul gives to Timothy: 1) Give attention to reading, exhortation, and doctrine. 2) Do not neglect what he has been given. 3) Meditate on these things. 4) Take heed to yourself and the doctrine.
All 4 of these things require focus and attention. All of these things are also important for the development and continued well-being of Timothy.
The same holds true for us today. If we are to give God our best we must do each of these things today as well. We must focus our attention on God’s Word, not neglect that which has been given to us, meditate on the things of truth, and keep hold of ourselves and the teachings of Christ. If we will do that, we can have the same impact on the world that Paul and Timothy did.