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Do our talents/abilities define who we are or is it a challenge to use our talents/abilities to be more like Jesus?
As I read Romans 12 I felt like Jesus was talking directly to me. I feel I have been blessed with many talents and abilities, but unfortunately, in the past, have viewed them as my defining characteristics. I am able to teach people, so I defined myself as a teacher. I have encouraged others when they had emotionally trying times so I defined myself as a good friend. I have been blessed with the ability to contribute to the needs of others, so I defined myself as a good provider. I have been successful in my professional career by leading others, so I defined myself as a successful business person. But I missed the point… God gave me these gifts not as a definition of who I am but as a challenge to me to act generously, faithfully and cheerfully in using these gifts.
As I have progressed in my Bible studies and developed a deeper relationship with Jesus I have found that I no longer use my talents to define who or what I am. But rather, when I see a need I feel an urge in my heart to fulfill that need with all that I am. Individually and collectively, our focus must be how can we, using our talents/abilities, contribute to the greater good of our community.
A prior church we attended had an gathering called the Time, Talent and Treasure Expo where all the small groups/ministries within the church set up stations so you could learn more about each group and volunteer if you wished to participate. The event always seemed like an opportunity for people to say “Hey, look what I am signing up for.” It never felt like it was truly from people’s hearts or their desire to walk with Jesus. The CCC approach of “being the church; not simply going to church” on periodic Sundays seems to be much more on target with our calling.
So I challenge you to not only fill in the blanks below, but to take actions with all of your heart and being:
I have the gift of _________________ so I will __________________.
- the ability to serve_____serve generously/faithfully/cheerfully
- the knowledge to teach_____teach generously/faithfully/cheerfully
- the resources to contribute_____give generously/faithfully/cheerfully
- leadership_____govern diligently/faithfully
- showing mercy_____do it cheerfully/generously/faithfully
Can anyone imagine what our church would look like if everyone served. It seems to me that God is saying 100% of the people in church have a “talent/ability/gift” that God has given them for the purpose of serving his kingdom. I think if we could get half of the people at church to commit to serving with their gift, our staff would be over run and not be able to handle all the volunteers. What a blessing that would be.
So how can the church motivate its people to use their talents?
What are the obstacles that keep people from using their talents for God?
Spiritual Gifts given by God to us specifically by design – He knows who we are and what plans He has for u. The referenced verse shows the gifts are demonstrated in the context of personal relationship and ministry.
How can we motivate people to use their gifts? I am not sure “we” can except by example and encouragement. If the gift is Holy Spirit given and driven, we can’t help but to serve in this way. My specific Spiritual gift is teaching, but my ministry is worship and music. I cannot help but do that, I never tire of it. It is like food to me, and I know it is from God, otherwise I do not have the endurance to maintain that kind of intensity in it. But I also know I have to develop mercy, giving, administration, encouragement and the other gifts or I will be out of balance.
What are the obstacles? Maybe the need for instruction. Perhaps a misunderstanding of the terms talents and Spiritual gifts. Maybe they discount their gift – yesterday we discussed the quiet gifts and there were a number of comments from people who may not have looked at those being just as essential to the Church as the visible ones.
Good questions. Good devotional. This will keep me going all day.
Laura good fill in the blank questions.I really like the challenge to take action with all of our heart. I would submit it is because our heart attitude isn’t right we don’t serve. It would even seem that if you are “burned out” serving you need a heart or a gift check. The heart check would be to see if your motives are right. Are you serving so others can notice (I would even say so God) what you are doing for God or are you using your gifts to be notice by man or a notch in your belt to get to heaven? We have to be careful to remind ourselves that works (usinf our gifts) do not get us to heaven. It is a relationship with God thorough Christ a free gift so noone can boast. It is because I have a relationship that I have any gifts in the first place.
I would also say we have “burn out” because we mismatched and in the wrong place using someone elses gifts. rob I will let you off the hook and challenge Joe to get some good material that small groups could use to find out gifts. Have a good day everyone.
discovering your talents and abilities can be tough..i like being around people who “do” more with their talents than talk about them…Jeff
Laura, thanks for your thoughts and challenges. It is a joy to serve alongside people who are serving out of a genuine love and hunger for Jesus. It makes all the difference in the world!
What if I do good works out of service. I feel that it is a duty to help those around me. It is not to put myself on a pedestal, but to glorify God. I want people to see me as a Christian without having to wear a tee-shirt that says so. Sure, I do things with faith and goodness in my heart, pure joy for helping others, but it is still a responsibility to help others where I can.
Why can’t it be a duty and a joy at the same time?
I agree with Jeff. It is difficult for some people to define what their talents are. We often spend too much time trying to define who we are so we can figure out what our talents are. When we simply need to follow the Spirit, and focus on loving and serving others. In doing so, our talents will be revealed.
Also, our talents can change with our life, our walk with Jesus, and the needs that surround us.
Erwin McManus has taught how the early, first-century believers were labeled by pagans as “Christians.” Today, we label ourselves as “Christians” and an unbelieving world calls us hypocrites. In ancient times, people could point at Jesus followers and define them as the church. Today, we put up signs to let people know we are the church.
What’s the difference between now and then? Serving. Finding hurting people and showing them the love of Jesus with our natural talents and our divinely enabled gifts from God.
I believe God is showing us how to BE the church. May God bless us to allow sacrificial service to really be the DNA of Cumberland.
I definitely have to give all the credit to Laura for finding CCC. And she did have to give me a little push. As she stated, it was a major change from the church that we attended for many years. But coming to CCC revealed that our relationships with the Lord would be much greater than we imagined.
As in our situation, sometimes the place your heart is in doesn’t allow you to offer your talents and abilities. I believe that once our hearts and our minds are in the right place God will lead us to do great things. Our lives have changed as we have both been able to serve and contribute, in subtle ways, because of our renewed relationship with God.
With all this talk about DNA, this definition might be helpful:
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms. Since the church is a “living organism” in makes sense that each local body, or church would contain those God given gifts that are to be used for the body to develop and function. God is sovereign. Just as each human being has the imprint of God having been created unique, so too each church has the imprint of God. Cumberland is unique. Members and attenders of CCC, having been so created, and called out for the eternal expression and joy of love with our God, let us use our worship, praise, friendship, joys and sorrows, with the gifts He has given us to faithfully serve one another in that love.
My prayer this morning is to just BE that Christian that is known without having to wear a label or carry a sign. God, help me BE what you have called me to be for Your glory. Remove my pride and inhibitions of self.
Thanks Laura
These are great verses for us to meditate and act upon.I think it curious that we are told what the gifts are and then we are told what to do with them.
It seems that the gifts we get from God get placed on the back burner of urgency. I think he is saying if you are a leader then lead diligently and let other gifted people look after other needs. If you have the gift of mercy then joyfully be showing mercy.We think we need to look after everything. Instead we are a church that needs to work together to look after all.
I haven’t commented on any of these yet, but I really enjoyed this entry in particular. I am kind of averse to the programmed expression of spiritual gifts, too. We’re supposed to express God’s love ALL the time, not just in an organized activity. Preach it!
Thanks Laura
I think it is all about God. Not even others.
As soon as it becomes a duty it becomes work or worse religion.
God knows our heart. And it really doesn’t take long for others to see right through it.
-Heather
“Individually and collectively, our focus must be how can we, using our talents/abilities, contribute to the greater good of our community.” amen and amen – this is exactly what God’s plan is for us as a church body!
I have been studying the book of Exodus and the building of the tabernacle. Exodus 35:39 states, “The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.” They all gave of their talent which God led them in wisdom and understanding and they gave donations so that the tabernacle could be built just as God said. Today we are the tabernacle. The Holy Spirit leads us in wisdom and knowledge. God not only gives us a gift but the wisdom and knowledge to use it for his glory. I think of what Herb said can you imagine if all of the people served. In Exodus37:3-7 it states that everyone gave and Moses had to actually tell the people to stop giving because they had given so much that it had become overwhelming.
Thank you Laura for the challenge and the words of wisdom. “God gave me these gifts not as a definition of who I am but as a challenge to me to act generously, faithfully, and cheerfully in using these gifts.”
Laura and Ralph we really appreciate the service you’ve given to our church body. Thanks for all your encouragement that puts a fire under our feet to BE the church to a hurting world. I hope that you will stick around CCC for a lifetime….thanks guys!
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