Talents, Strengths, and Spiritual Gifts  

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.”—1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)    

By Danny Saavedra

What are you passionate about? What are you good at? Everyone has stuff they enjoy doing. Maybe for you, it’s art; you love painting or sketching. Maybe it’s music; you’re a talented guitarist or drummer, or you have an amazing voice. Maybe it’s writing, working with kids, sports, cooking, gardening, or exploring marine life. The list goes on and on. 

Whatever it is, are you using it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father (Colossians 3:17)? Are you using that talent and that passion to bring glory to God? Are you being generous with that gift or talent?

Right about now, you’re probably asking yourself, How can I be generous with a talent? What does it mean to be generous with the things I’m passionate about? Well, did you ever wonder why God blessed you with the specific gifts and talents that He did? Why did He instill certain personality traits and guide you toward specific interests, hobbies, and passions? Was it random, or does He have a plan and purpose for you in these areas? 

If you’ve ever pondered any of these questions, the answer is a resounding yes! God made you intentionally. He crafted you personally and intimately with the gifts, talents, interests, and passions you have today so that a) you would experience a deeper relationship with Him through it, b) you would glorify Him with it, and c) you would have purpose, fullness, and joy in your life. 

Our generous Lord wants you to enjoy these gifts, to feel joy in using them, to be passionate and enthusiastic about them. He wants to draw you closer to Him through these gifts, and He wants you to use them to draw others to Him, too! 

But how can you generously use these gifts, talents, and passions for God’s glory? How can you both enjoy them and draw others to Him through them? Well, if you have a talent and passion for music, use it to lead others in worship or to write music unto Him. If you have a passion for cooking, maybe you could make food for the homeless, kids in orphanages, a coworker in need, or make a treat for all your neighbors. If you love sports, consider getting a group together to play and do a Bible study each week, or coach a team of kids in a local league. The list is limitless, the possibilities are endless . . . the question you must ask yourself is how far will you be willing to go with what God has given you? How far will you let the Lord stretch your gifts? To what extent will you let Him use you to draw people to Him?

Today, you may know exactly what your gifts and passions are. You may already be using your gifts generously to honor God and serve and minister to others. If you are, that’s great! We want to encourage you to keep using them and to keep exploring new possibilities as the Spirit leads. 

If you know your gifts and passions and are not using them generously or glorifying the Lord through them, start today! Write down your gifts and passions and think of ways you can use them.

If you aren’t sure what your gifts are, but would like to find out, start by making a list of the things you like, things you’re passionate about, things that excite you or bring you joy, and things you’re good at. Consider taking a spiritual gifts test. How can you explore these and use them to glorify the Lord? How can you develop and hone these things and use them to minister to others?

As you work on this today, remember Colossians 3:17 (NLT): “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” Reflect on this verse and pray as you consider how to generously serve the Lord and others.