A Fresh Perspective on Talents

​What do you do when you feel like you are the least talented person in the world? That’s how I’ve felt my whole life, but my perspective quickly changed from a comment made by a close friend of mine. She told me, “You have a lot of talents. They may not be the talents you want, but you still have talents.” She went on to point out a couple of my talents. I’ve had people tell me I was talented before. People I really respected and looked up to. Yet I never could see it or convince myself to believe it.
What my friend told me was right. It boils down to this: I wanted to have the talents I saw all my friends had. Mostly, I wanted to be a fantastic singer. I’m not. I can carry a tune and sing on key, but I can’t find the harmony parts or do fancy runs. I’m an average singer at best, but you know what? That’s okay. For the first time in my life I stopped and realized that it is okay for me to have different talents. I love writing, drawing, graphic design, cooking, and even baking. These are things I’m good at. Am I the best? No way! But God gave me the ability to do these things and a love for them for a reason. I’m not bragging when I write this. I want you to think outside the box. What talents has God given you that you have been overlooking? Maybe you can’t sing or play an instrument. Maybe you’re horrible at art. But maybe you’re an amazing seamstress. Maybe you’re a natural at talking in front of or to others. I know someone who is a natural at counseling people. That’s a God-given talent.

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My challenge and warning to you is that you don’t waste your talents, whatever they may be. The Bible makes it clear that we are to take these things and use them for God’s glory. Matthew 25:14-30 gives the parable of a man who wasted the talent given to him. In your spare time, read this story. Then put yourself into it. First, as the man who wasted his talent, then try being the one who did well. Which one would you rather be? Which one are you being at this moment? One day I want to hear my Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (KJV).
I have wasted a lot of time applying this to everyone else and thinking I didn’t have any talents. How many sermons have we heard about using what God has given us? How many times have you heard someone say “you don’t have to preach, sing, or get behind a pulpit to do something for God”? I heard it a lot, especially when I was in Bible college. Did I ever think it applied to me? Not really. In my mind, I was going to be that great singer one day. I’m glad the Lord used one of my friends to get my attention, though. What if I spent the rest of my life trying to be a singer when all along God wanted me to be a writer? What talent have you been trying to hide? My prayer is this: that each Christian, whether they are old, young, or somewhere in between, would realize that God has special purpose for each of the talents you’ve been given. Find them. And then DO SOMETHING with them.
    Amber Marshall