During our December 17th monthly Zoom meeting, our focus was on the gift of Christmas, and Diane Hayes facilitated a powerful discussion. The way she explained how our gifts can be cultivated into talents was truly enlightening. What she shared brought clarity, affirmation, and a deeper appreciation for what God has placed inside of each of us. I want to share a few highlights from that conversation.
We were reminded that our gifts are given for the Body of Christ. They are meant to edify, lift up, build, inspire, and encourage others. Our gifts are not meant to sit idle or be hidden; they are given to be used. At the same time, we were encouraged to take this personally. Whatever gifts the Lord has given you, He has given them to you to use. Yes, they are for the community, the world, and the Kingdom of God, but they are also for you. Everything you need to overcome the circumstances of life was placed inside of you at birth, and one of the primary ways God does that is through the gifts He gives.
We also reflected on the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ. He came into the world not to condemn it, but that through Him the world might be saved. Salvation begins with kneeling and repentance, but it is also a daily practice. It shows up in our personal healing, our self-awareness, and in our recognition of who we are and what God has entrusted to us.
When you work on your gift, you begin to hone skills, and over time, those skills develop into talents. Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father of lights. Every gift you have comes from God. The question is: do you recognize your gift? Have you ever done something you were never taught to do, yet it came naturally? That is a God-given gift. The challenge is to nurture it, because some gifts never develop into talents if we don’t intentionally work on them. This conversation reminded us that our gifts matter, and so does what we choose to do with them