USING WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU
By Pastor Mark Taylor
“There is a lad here, which has five barley loaves, and two small fish: but what are they among so many?” John 6:9
God deserves your best. You were made for a purpose and He expects you to make the most of what you have been given. Don’t worry about the abilities you don’t have, instead, focus on the gifts and abilities He has given you.
I PETER 4:11 “IF ANY ONE MINISTER, LET HIM DO IT AS OF THE ABILITY WHICH GOD GIVES; THAT GOD IN ALL THINGS MAY BE GLORIFIED THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, TO WHOM BE PRAISE AND DOMINION FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”
God has given each of us different talents depending upon what He knows we can do. He has confidence in us that we can accomplish the tasks He has given us to do. Some of us have more than one talent, because the Lord knows we can do more than someone else. He has given us opportunity to learn from going to school, being successful in a trade, or having a pleasant personality in dealing with people. Some people can sing, some can speak in front of groups, some can teach children, some can feed the hungry, some can visit the sick, some can be mentors to young people, some can repair broken things, some can add beauty and order to a building or lawn, some can inspire and lead others in new projects, and all can be faithful in attending worship services.
If we all have talents, then why do some people choose to hide their talents like the “wicked and lazy” servant?” Probably for the same reason he did. Some people do not see God as a loving, generous, and rewarding God. They see Him as “hard” and unfair, and are afraid of Him. They get this idea of God, because they really do not know Him. God is not going to punish you for trying and failing.
God has made us with different abilities and different personalities. We are not all designed to serve the Lord in exactly the same way. But you have been given talents and are responsible for using them for the Kingdom of God. Not just in the church building on Sundays, but everyday of your life.
Begin by finding out what your gifts and abilities are. Most people think that abilities that can be used by God in the church are limited to preaching, singing, and teaching. But these are only three of many things that God uses. Here is a partial list of gifts and abilities that the Bible lists as spiritual gifts: giving, helps, mercy, hospitality, faith, administration, intercessory prayer, craftsmanship, humor, and discerning.
The little lad had the gifts of giving and helps. The bread and fish didn’t seem like much, but when Jesus blessed it, five thousand men were fed, not counting the women and children. You may not have the gift of preaching or teaching, but God may have given you the gift of inviting and bringing people to church. In Mark 2:1-5 four men brought a crippled man to Jesus and he was healed and his sins were forgiven. The four men may have been fisherman or shepherds, but this day they were using their gift of service to help someone they cared about.
The best way to discover your gifts and abilities is to experiment with different areas of service. Just start serving in some way and God will show you the area you fit into. Try some things you’ve never done before. Don’t try to figure out your gifts before volunteering to serve somewhere. You will never know what you are good at until you try. When it doesn’t work it is ok, it is your faith that God rewards. If you try working with teenagers and you don’t “understand” them, try working with children or senior citizens. If you don’t like working with groups of people, maybe your gifts are working on God’s house and property to make it a beautiful and comfortable place to worship. If you don’t have much time, give so others can be blessed.
“Let every person prove (find) his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.” Galatians 6:4. God doesn’t want you to be just a spectator, but He wants you to be actively participating in His work on earth.
