Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7
One thing you may have been taught growing up is that you were born with a gift, a talent, and from very early on, if you worked hard and put in the work you would develop the skill to do better in what you did.
The Bible tells us that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadows due to change.” (James 1:17) Everything that we have has been granted to us by our Heavenly Father. Our gifts, talents, cars, house, family, and even money, God in His grace has granted all of these things to us.
Jesus tells us however to not hold on to these earthly gifts, in Matthew 6 we hear Jesus say, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
But what does this mean for us? Well, if we are a part of the body of Christ, our gifts and talents have a much higher value than we could ever imagine. We get to use these gifts to glorify God in any capacity. When we’ve come to understand the grace and the power of what Jesus has done for us, all that we have and all that we live for is no longer for ourselves, it’s for Jesus. So when you use your gifts and your talents, whether it be within a congregation or amongst your group of friends, the purpose is no longer for ourselves but to give glory to God.
In this time think about the gifts that have been granted to you, whether it be singing or teaching, how are you using your God-given gifts and talents to further sow into the kingdom?
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