Musing: More on You’ve Got Talent

This morning as I was rereading what I wrote yesterday I got this thought. At least for me that is one of the ways God speaks to me (oh and the devil uses thoughts too).

I felt prompted that I needed to expand “talent”. I again could see many faces of people I know and don’t know and I could hear them say, “I don’t have any real talent God could use”. I can’t do this I can’t do that. I can’t express myself. I know what I want to say but when the words come out it’s not what I really want to say. I’m not an evangelist, I’m too shy to have the boldness to pray for people whether I know them or no.

Here’s a good word from the Lord. Stop comparing yourself to everyone else. Stop rehashing what you don’t have and focus on what you do have.

• 1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am”
• Galatians 6:4 (ERV) “Don’t compare yourself with others.”

Is your gift to listen to people? Is your gift mercy? How about compassion just the way to listen and respond to others. How about giving a person a hug or gently touching their hand? How about a phone call to say I’ve been thinking about you? Is your gift to send out short notes of encouragement through the mail or using emails. Send words of encouragement anonymously. Can you sow or sing? Can you say hello. I have in the past spoken about the power of hello (it is powerful). Can you make a meal, bake some cookies? Can you find way to serve in your church community? There is always a need to volunteer in multiple ways - cleaning, ushering, gardening, nursery, teaching, serving extraordinary people in transition (homeless). Can you encourage people just with a few words. That happened to me after church yesterday. Words have power…

There are countless gifts too numerous to list. Perhaps you are a missionary or called to support one. Maybe God gives you burdens for people so you can pray. It could be you are an intercessor or not.

If you want to look at spiritual gifts we have 1 Corinthians 12-14. Then there is :

• Romans 9: 4-5 “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another”.

Look at the gifts/talents mentioned in  the following verses:

• 6-8 “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.’

God’s looking for teachers, people who exhort, leads, shows mercy and yes the gift/talent to give themselves, time, money etc.

I also am seeing the Holy Spirit distribute new gifts and talents and having some people put-on hold what they have done for years. It is a time of are beginnings, being stretched and challenged. It’s time to take risks of faith, to trust God in new ways,

LISTEN YOU ARE NEEDED… YOU HAVE A TALENT/TALENTS GIVEN TO GLORIFY GOD AND EXPAND HIS KINGDOM.

• Ephesians 4:16 “from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”

Paul writes and says, USE what God has given you. Or we should listen to the question God asks Moses.

• Exodus 4:2 “So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.” 

Moses changed the corse of history by using what he had not what he didn’t have. You too can change lives by using what God has given you…