talents<\/em> have you been given?\u00a0 Are you using them?\u00a0 Or are you squandering them?<\/p>\nSo often we don\u2019t use our talents because we lack confidence. We think of all the people in the world who are better than us at a certain skill.\u00a0 Then we think, \u201cWell, what is the point of playing my cello?\u00a0 I\u2019ll never be as good a cellist as Yo-Yo Ma.\u201d\u00a0 Or, \u201cWhy should I write a book?\u00a0 I\u2019ll never write stories like Toni Morrison.\u201d\u00a0 Maybe.\u00a0 Maybe not.\u00a0 But that isn\u2019t the point.\u00a0 The Bible doesn\u2019t tell us to compare ourselves to everyone else, and then only use our skills if we are the best.\u00a0 We are supposed to use the talents God gave us.\u00a0 And when we do, God can use us to better the world.<\/p>\n
Our talents are not a gift which we can choose to either use or not. Talents come with responsibility.\u00a0 We are responsible to use our talents to effect God\u2019s will on earth.\u00a0 It isn\u2019t our job to worry about whether we are good enough, or smart enough or beautiful enough to do whatever it is that we have been called to do.\u00a0 Our job simply is to use our talents to serve God.<\/p>\n
I know a beautiful lady who is a violinist and a financial expert. Even though she is busy as a fulltime mom, she has not laid her talents to waste.\u00a0 She regularly plays her violin at our church and transforms our worship services.\u00a0 She recently played hymns at a nursing home for one of our parishioners who could no longer come to church.\u00a0 She brightened everyone\u2019s world at the home that day.\u00a0 And she lends her financial expertise to our church.\u00a0 God has given her talents, and she uses them at every opportunity to serve Him.<\/p>\n
Some of us hide our talents because we don\u2019t want to appear to be boastful or vain. But we have to remember that we haven\u2019t earned<\/em> our talents.\u00a0 We\u2019ve been blessed <\/em>with them.\u00a0 As a result, our talents are to be used and shared to make the world a better place.\u00a0 They aren\u2019t meant to be hidden under a rock.<\/p>\nNot only do we have a responsibility to use our own talents, we are responsible to encourage others to use theirs. I used to work for an organization that served women.\u00a0 Many of the women I met with were victims of domestic violence.\u00a0 I used to think, \u201cWhat incredible talents\u00a0do you have that have been suppressed?\u201d\u00a0 I also thought, \u201cHow dare someone deny you the right to not only be safe, but to live in an environment in which you can use your gifts for the glory of God?\u201d<\/p>\n
When I see people who are victims of violence, or who are homeless or addicted to drugs, I don\u2019t see failures. I see people who have been blessed with gifts that may never be used to serve the world.\u00a0 It is a tragedy.<\/p>\n
This week consider your own gifts.\u00a0 Are you being a responsible steward of the talents that God has given you?\u00a0 Are you using them on a daily basis?\u00a0 Are you honing and refining your skills?\u00a0 You have been given particular gifts for a reason \u2013 to serve and glorify God.\u00a0 Use them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201c\u2026 From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.\u201d Luke 12:48 What have you been given? Right now I am not asking about money or things.\u00a0 I am asking about your talents.\u00a0 What talents have you…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-283","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
The Gifts We\u2019ve Been Given - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2016\/07\/gifts-weve-given.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Gifts We\u2019ve Been Given - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201c\u2026 From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.\u201d Luke 12:48 What have you been given? 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