Using Your Gifts and Talents

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them. — Romans 12:6 ESV

Many women have bought into the lie that there is a right way and a wrong way to do everything. Often we are unable to acknowledge the gifts in another woman without feeling envious of her or disgusted with ourselves. The fact is that we all have different gifts. Your gifts are not better, and mine are not worse; they’re just different.

Whether you monogram your baby’s cloth diapers or run each morning while pushing a toddler in a jogging stroller and munching on homemade granola, we all have specific gifts. We can find freedom in acknowledging our differences — and freedom feels good.

Along with the acknowledgment that we all possess gifts is the assumption that we will actually use our gifts. We were each given a specific gift for a specific purpose. Perhaps the purpose benefits you. The reality is, however, that our gifts are often for the benefit of others. Consider the gifts Paul lists: prophecy, service, teaching, encouragement, generosity, leadership, and mercy. Each of these gifts is a blessing to those on the receiving end.

The enemy will try to convince us not to use our gifts. He might even try to get us to deny that we have any. We may call it humility, but it’s actually selfish to hoard our gifts, which were given to us to benefit the people God has placed in our lives.

So let’s go out and use the gifts we’ve been given.

Forgive me for not using the gifts You have given me for Your glory. Reveal to me my gifts, and give me the boldness to use them.

Excerpted with permission from Devotions from the Front Porch, copyright Thomas Nelson.

* * *

Your Turn

What are your gifts? We need you and we need you to bravely use your gifts! Let us be a community of women who celebrate one another’s talents and abilities, who choose to encourage rather than compete, who see beauty and capability in other women and cheer each other on to use those gifts for the Lord’s glory! Come share with us on our blog. We want to hear from you about boldly and beautifully living out our God-ordained purpose and blessing those around us! ~ Laurie McClure, Faith.Full