You were created by God and have been uniquely gifted by Him. No one else possesses the combination of gifts that you have. And what is even more interesting to me is that throughout your life, God may provide you with new gifts in order to accomplish all that He has for you.

Take the story of Daniel for example. In chapter one of the book of Daniel we learn that he, along with other young men were taken from Jerusalem into captivity in Babylon. Babylon was a pagan nation with many different customs. Daniel and three of his friends were expected to eat and drink as the Babylonians did. But they chose not to defile their bodies. And because of their obedience to God in this manner, we read in Daniel chapter 1:17:

To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.

God gave Daniel new gifts. As we continue to read Daniel’s story, we find that several times he is called on to interpret dreams and visions. Daniel’s gift sets him apart from the other young men and he is put in a position of power and influence within the government of Babylon.

It is comforting to know that God will equip us to be able to accomplish what He calls us to do. But as in Daniel’s story, we need to be obedient to God first, trust Him, and then he will meet our needs.

God gives us talents and abilities not to exalt ourselves, but to glorify Him. As we serve God with our gifts, we need to remember that every good and perfect gift come from Him (James 1:17). Our motivation for using our gifts should not be for the praise from men but rather to please God (1 Th 2:4).

It is also important to know what gifts you have been given. Some of them are more obvious than others. If you haven’t done so, perhaps now is the time to complete a spiritual gift inventory that will help you identify the ways in which God has uniquely gifted you. With this information in hand, you will have a better sense of how, where and to whom God is calling you to serve.

Questions to think about:

• Do you know what your talents and spiritual gifts are?
• How are you using the talents that God has entrusted to you?
• Is God being glorified through the use of your talents?
• Is your life and the lives of others around you improved spiritually, emotionally, physically because you are utilizing your talents?
• Where and to whom is God calling you to serve?
• How can you model the stewardship of talents to others?