As a teenager I didn’t believe that I was gifted AT ANYTHING. Some of that carried on into adulthood and talking with others I have found that I’ve not been the only one who has believed that about themselves.
It’s rare that any of us looks around at others in our community or church and think that no one around us is gifted at anything. Yet, although we wouldn’t say it about others, there are some of us who wouldn’t dare to believe that we ourselves are gifted, and that somehow in the creation process God passed over us in His gifts and talents distribution line.
This is a problem because if we believe that God has not given us gifts to serve and love others with then this not only reflects what we believe about ourselves but also (and perhaps more importantly) it shows us what we believe about God and who He is.
If we believe that God has not given us gifts to serve and love others with then this not only reflects what we believe about ourselves but it shows us what we believe about God and who He is.
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To hold on to the lie that we have no gifts can be a clear example of false humility which is, in essence, a subtle form of pride.
“True humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less” CS Lewis
We can even be obsessed with ourselves that we’re not good enough, but because we’re being negative about ourselves we simply label it poor self-esteem rather than pride.
But you do have gifts. There are many pieces of scripture which talk about this and God wants us to steward the gifts that He has given us. We need to understand that they are gifts from God, they are not my gifts, but gifts that have been given to me to bless others and honour God.
God wants us to steward the gifts that He has given us. We need to understand that they are gifts from God, they are not my gifts, but gifts that have been given to me to bless others and honour God.
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They are God’s gifts in us to carry out the good works that God wants us to do. To acknowledge that we have gifts is not pride, it is actually our responsibility, and to steward the gifts that God has given us well is an act of worship and a way to honour Him. Investing in the gifts that God has given us is an act of love and humility when it is done to enable us to serve those around us well.
When I started to try and identify the gifts that God had put in me I found it incredibly uncomfortable, it was not how I had been used to thinking, and it was outside my comfort zone to think that I could be a blessing to others.
It did not sound spectacular but I started to recognise that I seemed to have some gift of encouragement so I decided to intentionally encourage others (Romans 12:8). Sometimes it was through praying for people, sometimes it was through sending a text with a Bible verse which I hoped would encourage others. Lately, I’ve been trying to outwork using this gift in restarting my blog this year to encourage you to either consider faith in Jesus for the first time or to persevere and grow in faith. There will of course be times where I am not an encouragement, I still have a long way to grow in this. To steward our gifts well means that we are growing in them rather than seeking to unattainable goal of being perfect.
As I’ve tried to be intentional and steward the gift well I’ve noticed that over time I started to recognise small seeds of other gifts that God might have planted in me and started to invest in those as well.
Where do I begin?
I’ve seen too many people burnout in church when out of sheer enthusiasm have said yes to everything without asking ‘where is God gifted and called me to play my part?’
Using the picture of the Body that the Church is described as in the New Testament, if an ear is trying to be a lung then the ear will eventually get tired at not being able to expand and breathe, it’ll get tired and want to give up, it could be filled with disappointment or resentment and lose their passion for the rest of the Body or for God.
- Start here and now
You begin, not where you want to be at but where you are.
When God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, Moses tried to convince God that he wasn’t called and he had no gifts, yet God had other ideas.
“Moses answered, ‘What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, “The Lord did not appear to you”?’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ ‘A staff,’ he replied.” Exodus 4:1-2
Do you have an Instagram account? Can you be more intentional in what you’re posting about?
Do you like cooking? Invite people round for dinner.
Do you like teaching? Start a blog.
Start small and be faithful with the gifts that God has given you. He’s called you to be you and not try to be someone else.
- Get the right people around you.
Surround yourself with people who love you enough to tell you the truth about your life and not just tell you what you want to hear.
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.” Proverbs 27:6
I’ve often needed the encouragement from leaders or friends around me to step out in my gifts.
- Change your thinking (i.e. repent of wrong belief)
Align your thinking with God’s Word about who He is and what He has given you. If your thinking has been that you have no gifts, or that God has made a mistake with you, and have believed that lie then you need to identify those thoughts and then you’ll need to repent and bring them in alignment with truth, as you do that your life will be transformed from the inside out.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2
I’m so excited to see how the gifts of God that He has given you will impact the body for the blessing of others and yourself.
Reflect
If you are not sure what your gifts are, read and ask God to speak to you through the following Bible verses: Ephesians 2:1-10, Romans 12:1-8, 1 Corinthians 12:1-31
What gift(s) has God given you? How are you specifically investing and outworking it in this current season?
Why not take a Spiritual Gifts Survey here?
Thanks for reading, what are you learning about the gifts that God has given you? I’d love to hear from you, please share in the comments your reflections or any questions that you might have, Dan
Further reading
Dan Everett 