Talents are Gifts From God
Every one has a talent that they can use to benefit others. Your talent will determine what you can do. Your motivation is the thing that determines how much you are willing to do. And your attitude will determine how well you do it. We often use “reasonable excuses to not use our talents. What are you going to do with your talents?
God Has invested in Us
Our personalities, our intelligence, and our capabilities are gifts from God Himself. Since, He has taken the time to invest in our lives let’s make the most of that investment. We can do this by taking the time to develop our talents and capabilities and by learning how our personalities affect every thing we do. We can also learn how our personalities work with other people’s personalities. Let’s take the time to develop all the areas of our lives so we can benefit the lives of others and bring glory to God. Remember, when we take the time to help others our own lives will be enriched.
We are to be using our voices, our service, and our abilities to bring glory to God.
Our voices, our service, and our abilities should all work together to bring Glory to God. Click To Tweet
Speaking of Developing A Talent
Think of someone who plays the piano. They are able to make noise with the keys as a child. However as they take lessons and practice and practice and practice they get really good at what they are doing.
We really appreciate a piano player who can perform without a flaw.
This is what God wants us to do with the talents He has given us.
He wants us to enjoy, develop and share our talents and gifting with others.
Every Talent or Gifting is Important
Now let’s take some time to think about what you and I really enjoy doing: singing, teaching, building things, organizing, listening to and helping other, cleaning. Some of these may not sound like talents, but they are. If you enjoy it, are good at it, and can use it to bless God’s people, then it’s a God-given talent. – We all have at least one God-given talent (some people have several).
Why Does God Give So Many Talents?
Let’s take a look at 1 Corinthians 12:14-26.
If we only had teachers who would learn. Teachers need students and teachers need to be students. Administrators need people to organize and people like to have organization in place to conduct themselves accordingly. Think of any sport that you play – they all have rules and what works for hockey won’t work for football, etc. However, each games’ rules help that sport be worth playing and watching. As an added bonus: those of us who are armchair quarterbacks have a way to cheer for and/or dissect the game.
Personal Example
When I was growing up one of my favorite things to do was to place all of my dolls and stuffed animals on the stairs to preach to them a lesson about Jesus or to teach them things that I was learning.
This is how I discovered that one of my talents is teaching.
As confirmation: my younger sisters reminded me that I used to instruct them on the things I was learning from the Bible (I was a teenager at the time).
Teaching is definitely one of my talents.
I’ve had a number of people who wondered why I didn’t study teaching in school.
I believe this is where natural ability (born with a desire to teach), acquired abilities (could have trained to be a teacher) and Spiritual gifts (God gives you a special ability to help in the edification of the Church) come into play. All 3 are in the same person and each plays a different role in how we serve God and others.
I believe that my teaching gift was given to me by God to serve in the Church – I mostly talk about Jesus and have taught every age level at Church – nursery, Sunday School (children and tweens), Youth Ministry, Women’s ministry, small groups, Bible studies, Seniors homes and seminars. I also have the privilege of being on a speaker’s team which allows me to give 1 to 2 Sermons a year at Church.
All of this is given to me by God and I have been privileged to see people’s lives changed. I’ve received many comments from people who felt helped by what God has spoken through me. I am so thankful that God has gifted me to make a difference.
The journey was hard to get to where I am today but it was well worth it.
And Now For You
Please, take the time right now to ask God to help you recognize your talents and ask Him to guide you in your grand adventure of making a difference in this world. Every single one of us is needed by God. Let’s find our places.
New Testament Examples of Gifting
The Bible does not give us an exhaustive list of how God would choose to empower us but it does give us some ideas:
1 Corinthians 12:8-12, 27-29 – Speaking Gifts: Teaching, apostles, knowledge, prophets, revelation wisdom; Sign/miraculous gifts: faith, gifts of healing, workings of miracles, distinguishing between spirits, diversity of language; and Service Gifts: administration and those who are able to help other.
Romans 12:6-8 – Speaking gifts: teaching, prophesying and encouraging; Service gifts: leadership, showing mercy, serving, and giving.
Ephesians 4:11 – Speaking gifts: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.
1 Peter 4:8-10 – Speaking; Service gifts: love, serving, hospitiality.
What we learn from these lists – is that they are only representative and that teaching gifts are given the most attention. This would make sense since the majority of us have learned to do the things that we do from being taught. We even tend to hone our natural ability by taking lessons.
Abilities are Talents
Abilities can be singing or crunching numbers, seeing patterns in seeming chaos or playing an instrument. Interest and abilities are as varied as people. But they are given to us by God, to shape us into people who can serve him in the unique roles or purposes he has given to us. We are all uniquely made, but whatever we do, no matter the interest or ability levels, we can give it our best effort, and do it for God.
Another Example
By the way, I am also good at picking paper up off of bathroom floors and have been able to exercise this talent many times. I know what you are thinking that’s not really a talent – well I believe that true cleaning is a talent and some people are really good at it and some of us, like me have to do it, but they enjoy doing it. Don’t take away from someone else’s gifting because you don’t see it as such. Every person is uniquely made and God has a place for everyone – we really need to grasp this. Speaking, singing, and sports are all great visible gifts – but the quiet behind the scenes gifts are equally important. I add this because some like to qualify gifts. Back to the body – eyes are great but they are not going to take us places. Hands can wear rings but the don’t keep our blood flowing. Faces can be made to look pretty, grey matter not so much but without our brains we’d be useless. Let’s be the difference – those who embrace all gifts, talents and abilities and see that they are all important.
GOD DOES NOT MAKE JUNK – however, we can take what God has made and turn it into junk – every encouraging message has a warning.
God does not make any junk. However, we are free to take what God has given us and use as if it were junk. Click To Tweet
Luke 19 Contains Both A Blessing and A Curse
Let’s Get the Curse out of the Way:
Luke 19 tells us that we must use the talents that God has given us and shares with us what will happen if we don’t.
20 “But the third servant brought back only the original amount of money and said, ‘Master, I hid your money and kept it safe. 21 I was afraid because you are a hard man to deal with, taking what isn’t yours and harvesting crops you didn’t plant.’ 22 “‘You wicked servant!’ the king roared. ‘Your own words condemn you. If you knew that I’m a hard man who takes what isn’t mine and harvests crops I didn’t plant, 23 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’ 24 “Then, turning to the others standing nearby, the king ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one who has ten pounds.’ 25 “‘But, master,’ they said, ‘he already has ten pounds!’ 26 “‘Yes,’ the king replied, ‘and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 27 And as for these enemies of mine who didn’t want me to be their king—bring them in and execute them right here in front of me.’”
Now For the Blessing:
15 “After he was crowned king, he returned and called in the servants to whom he had given the money. He wanted to find out what their profits were. 16 The first servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made ten times the original amount!’ 17 “‘Well done!’ the king exclaimed. ‘You are a good servant. You have been faithful with the little I entrusted to you, so you will be governor of ten cities as your reward.’ 18 “The next servant reported, ‘Master, I invested your money and made five times the original amount.’ 19 “‘Well done!’ the king said. ‘You will be governor over five cities.’
WELL DONE! YOU WILL BE GOVERN OVER ________ CITIES (— how we use our talents is up to us.
How Should We use our Talents?
With Diligence, Cheerfulness and Faithfulness
Romans 12:6-13 — 6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. 9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
In an orderly and fitting way
1 Corinthians 14:26-33, 40 – verse 40 – 40 But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.
Used for the Good of the Church
Ephesians 4:12-13, 15 – The gifts of the Spirit were given “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect [complete, mature] man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ . . . speaking the truth in love, [that we] may grow up into him in all things, which is the head even Christ.”
Not to Be used For
Personal Pride, Boasting, individualism or isolationism
Romans 12:3 — 3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
1 Corinthians 12:14-26 – Every member of the body is needed in order for it to function properly.
Interesting Fact
The New Testament does not tell us at any time to try and find out what our gift is. The interest is not in what gift do we have, but in how are we using the God-given talent, abilities and gifts for the well-being of the Church and the lives of others.
Conclusion
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 Peter 4:10 NIV)
But if you use your talents wisely, God will give you more. God will bless your level of faithfulness.
Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV) – Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
How can you use your talent, today, to enrich the lives of others?
Please leave a reply below.
