TALENTED HANDS (3)

“EVERY GOOD GIFT and EVERY PERFECT GIFT is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights…” – James 1:17

GOD is the Source of every Good Gift and all TALENTED HANDS: “EVERY GOOD GIFT and EVERY PERFECT GIFT is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (Jam.1:17). God is the Eternal Giver. He who gave His Best – His Son – will not withhold from us any good gift: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely GIVE US ALL THINGS?” (Rom.8:32). “All things” include exceptional abilities, gifts, or talents – spiritual and temporal. God gives each of His children a unique Bundle of Talents, along with the Grace to discover, develop, and deploy these for our mutual benefit and for His Glory. These talents distinguish each of us, making us who we are and setting us apart from other people.

We all have different God-given talents, but they are all important and useful for God’s kingdom. God is not a ‘waster’ of resources. He expects dividends, increase, multiplication, and profit from His Investment of Talents in our lives. Moreover, all of His gifts and talents are targeted at both temporal and eternal Impact. Our talents are not simply meant for us to make a lot of money, amass stupendous wealth, retire, and die. Or else, one would have missed the essence of life. God gave us talents primarily to benefit others, and secondarily ourselves. God gave other people talents that benefit us. We’re all significant parts of the Body of Christ and members of the Family of God. Each part matters. Every member is important. God is concerned with how we use the talents He gave us.

God gives us talents to trade with (Mt.25: 14-30). He gives each person abilities and gifts which He expects us to develop and deploy in His service. He gives us abilities to serve others: “As each one of you has received a GIFT, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1Pet.4:10). Each of us is a manager or steward of our God-given gifts. They may be great or small in our eyes, but they matter to God, and our Faithfulness is sacrosanct: “Moreover it required in stewards that one be found faithful” (1Cor. 4:2). God made an investment in each of us, and He expects a return on that investment. Are we using what He’s given us for His Kingdom and Glory, the benefit of others, and to make the world a better place? Or are we just using our talents for self-benefit? Or, are we keeping them unused?

Whatever we do not use, we are likely to lose. When God gives one a talent, He expects it to be used. It’s like a muscle that grows with use, or is lost if not used. Whoever is afraid or lazy to use his talent to benefit others, will lose it. However, if we use our talents wisely, God will give us more. If we use our time wisely, God will give us more time. If we use our energy wisely, God will give us more energy. If we use our influence wisely, God will increase our influence. God will bless our level of faithfulness. Ask yourself: “What am I gifted at or talented in?

Natural talents are diverse; they vary from person to person, and are central to Identity and Character. Types of talents include: arts (drawing, painting, sculpture), acting, comedy, cooking, composing music, singing, creativity, critical thinking, dance, design, dress-making, decorating, communication, public-speaking, writing, administering, leadership, organising, mentoring, logic, teaching, entrepreneurship, money management, negotiating, organising, problem-solving, persuasion, story-telling, playing musical instruments, mathematical thinking, researching, technological flair, IT expertise, memorising, visualising, sports, multi-lingualism, interpersonal skills, and interest in nature.

We can discover our talents in certain ways: Praying to God for wisdom about what they are; asking our teachers, mentors or leaders; paying attention to what we enjoy doing; and practising. Ultimately, every talent is expected to produce temporal and eternal dividends for the Glory of God – the Giver!