(As a progressive, I believe there are many names for God and many ways to God – this article reflects one way. Take from here what works for you and celebrate life with blessings and peace!)
How many of you have watched America’s Got Talent? What a fun show because the talent search is open to all acts and people of all ages. This show has brought the variety format back to American culture by showcasing ordinary people and uncovering their extraordinary talents. It’s a beautiful show as it comes down to the final performances – where the people have voted, the microwave Orville Redenbacher’s have been popped and it’s time to announce a winner. Who will ever forget the stunning performance of Susan Boyle on Britain’s Got Talent? She brought people to their feet and tears to their eyes! We all rejoiced in her talent that had been hidden for so many years.
God has given each of us unique talents and gifts. Like fingerprints, no two gift-mixes are exactly alike. When we discover our talents, like Susan Boyle, that too often lie dormant for many years, the world is the better place because of them. Because you share your unique talents and your talents have such power you have the potential to change yourself, our community and even the world – for the better! You’ve got talent! And the winner is …you!
God has given you unique talents, abilities and gifts. These talents are made up of your God-given abilities, your heart, your spiritual gifts, your experiences and your personality. This bundle of talents all wrapped up in a fabulous package, is the thing God has given you that makes you who you are and uniquely sets you apart from other people.
There’s a verse in I Peter 4:10 that says, “Each one should use whatever gift they have received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”
If you think your talents are just for you to use for your own interests, for you to just make a lot of money, retire and die, you’ve missed the point. God has given you talents to benefit others, not just yourself. “So what about me?” you might ask. Well, God gave other people talents that benefit you!
We are all a part of the body of Christ – remember what Paul said to the church in Corinth: “The body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them as God chose. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you,’ nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this.” Now, Paul goes on to say, you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
You and I are part of the body of Christ, and each part matters. There are no insignificant people in the family of God. You are authentically and genuinely shaped to serve God and God has given you talents. How are you going to use them? How are you using them? Are you using them?
Whether you’re a teacher or a cook, a musician or an accountant, God has given you those abilities and talents to serve others. Remember the verse from I Peter, “Each of you should use whatever gift you’ve received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.”
Our Scripture reading for today says, “Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.”
You are a manager of the gifts God has given to you. You might think you’re talents are great or maybe you don’t think you have any talents at all to share. Let me remind you, it’s not about us! Your gifts might not matter to you, but they matter to God and they matter to others. God has asked us to be faithful in the gifts we’ve been given. Someone once said, “When God made you, God made an investment in you.” Now I don’t know about you, but when I make an investment, I expect a return on that investment.
Are you using what God’s given you for the benefit of others to make the world a better place? Or our community? Or are you just using those unique talents to benefit yourself?
God has given us talents and wants us to use them. A talent is like a muscle. If you use it, it will grow. If you don’t, you’ll lose it.
If you have a talent, but you’re afraid to use it, or you get lazy and don’t use it to benefit others, the chances are very good you’re going to lose it. Like the Parable of the Ten Talents in Luke 19, if you don’t use what God has given you, God may take it away and give it to someone else who will.
And the opposite is true too. If you use your talents wisely, God will give you more! If you use your time wisely, God will give you more time. If you use your energy wisely, God will give you more energy. If you use your influence wisely, God will increase your influence.
Erma Bombeck said, “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.’” God bless you and God bless your faithfulness!
You’ve got talent! Yes, you do!
