It’s not enough to just believe that we have been given gifts and skills from God. We then need to put them into practice so that we glorify Him and advance His kingdom. It’s our responsibility to discover the gifts He has given us, and to develop them so that we can use them well. The Bible says: ‘Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.’ Our gifts are not to advance ourselves and make us look good. They’re to bring God glory and bring people closer to Him. There are many reasons why we might not use our gifts. Firstly, we can let fear stop us. Using our gifts might mean stepping out of our comfort zone, and that can be scary. Secondly, we can doubt our abilities. We might think we’re not good enough to use the gift right now. Thirdly, we can be too busy to develop or use them. Life can get overwhelming, and we can often feel like we can’t fit another thing in. But we need to stop making excuses, and start using our gifts. God didn’t give us gifts just to make us interesting people, He wanted us to use them for Him. We shouldn’t let fear, doubt, or busyness get in the way of doing what He has called us to do. In the Bible, Paul told Timothy: ‘Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you’ (1 Timothy 4:14 NIV). Paul goes on to tell Timothy to be diligent and whole-hearted in his development and use of his gifts. And that’s what we need to be too. 

What Now? 

Find a way to develop and use your gifts for the kingdom in the week ahead. If you’re still not sure what your gifts are, spend some time asking God to show you.