1 Cor. 12:1-11; Romans 12:3-8; Ephesians 4: 4-11; 1 Peter 4:10-11

Recurrent Thought:

Our Impact in the Kingdom of God is dependent on our Service, which is an outcome of the execution of our Giftedness.

Kingdom Performance is the outcome (result) of a health mix, combination and interrelatedness of capacities that include Character, Knowledge (Wisdom) and Skills (Abilities, Talents). Giftedness is a major factor in shaping a person’s visible performance, tangible results, and overall impact in life. Spiritual Gifts, just as natural abilities, are the main avenues of performance outcomes. The abilities God has placed within us significantly shape what we accomplish, what others can see through our lives, and the impact we ultimately make. 

In God’s Kingdom, discovering and using the gifts He has entrusted to us is essential to fulfilling our purpose and becoming useful in His hands. Beyond attitudes of carelessness, negligence, mediocrity, disobedience, or inertia, many Christians fail to engage actively in service because they lack a clear understanding of their gifts, abilities, and capacities. Many Christians do not fully engage in the service of God—not because they are unwilling, but because they have not discovered, understood, or developed the gifts and abilities God has placed within them.

Self-esteem and personal confidence grow when a person recognizes and understands their strengths.

Apostle Paul emphasized a gift-driven ministry (1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6). Life activities are similar; they are abilities driven. Recognizing and properly exercising our spiritual gifts and abilities enhances our effectiveness and usefulness in the Kingdom of God.

Before discussing the usefulness of Gifts, Abilities and Talents, we must emphasis the fact that all these are a bestowment of God. James 1:17 and 1 Peter 4:10-11 are foundational texts showing that these capacities are a trust from the Lord. James 1: 17: states 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 shadow due to change.

• Good Gift (Gk. Dosis): The act or process of giving;
• Perfect Gift (Gk Dorema): the object or present that is given; the bestowment

Additionally, 1 Peter 4:10-11 reveals that Gifts are a trust from the Lord and we as stewards must be use with care. Herein then is the truth: “every child of God must be aware that they are loaded entrusted with gifts.  Because God has entrusted each of us with gifts, abilities, and opportunities, we are called to discover them, develop them, and deploy (serve with) them faithfully for His glory and for the blessing of others (1 Peter 4:10-11). The giftings in us are a trust from the Lord.

Lists of Examples of Gifts 

Here are three distinct areas of Awareness of our Giftedness that help to unleash effectiveness through the utilization of Spiritual Gifts

1. God Has More in You Than You Se
You are a revelation

• Your Gifts are more and greater than your Present awareness (1 Cor. 12:4–7; 1 Pet. 4:10; Ex. 31:2–5,
• Do not let your present awareness define your God-given potential.”
• Your gift may take time to become visible (Gen. 37:5–11; Psalm 105:19; Gal. 6:9)
• Do not abandon the seed because you cannot yet see the harvest. The seed can be alive even when nobody sees the fruit.
• Your gift develops through preparation, mastery and yieldedness
• To reveal more, you have to be diligent to prepare and execute diligently (1 Tim. 4:14–15; 2 Tim. 2:15; 2 Tim. 1:6
• Remember, what God gives by grace, we must develop through diligence.

2.  God can use Your Failures and Circumstances

• Failure does not have to be final (Luke 22:54–62; John 21:15–17; Acts 2:14; Pro. 24:16)
• When you fail, then just “Get up again!” Your failure does not have the final word.
• Start where God has placed you (Eccl. 9:10; Luke 16:10; Zech. 4:10; Pro. 3:27)
• We must be faithful with today's assignment then bigger doors will open for us
• God can use your gift to open the right door (Prov. 18:16; 22:29; Gen. 41:38–39
• We must be conscious to develop the gifts, but trust God with the door.

3. Your Gift Is for Service

• Do not depend on human recognition (Gen. 37:8; Mark 6:4; John 7:5; Phil 6)
• Human rejection cannot cancel divine purpose.”
• Make your gift available for the blessing of others (1 Peter 4:10; 1 Cor. 12:7; Romans 12:6
• Do not hide what God gave you; use it to serve somebody.
• Invest continually in what God has entrusted to you (1 Tim 4:14–15; 2 Tim 1:6; 2 Tim2:15; Matthew 25:14–30
• Do not bury your gift; cultivate it and put it to work.”

Conclusion

The Call from the Lord is that You Value His trust. The Gifts, Skills, Abilities and all bestowments He gives to us are a trust that must be properly valued and adequately used for His Own Glory

Altar Time

Lord, make me aware of the great deposits within me

Lord, I pray for continued development and mastery of the gifts You entrusted to me.

Lord, I pray for the courage to deploy the gifts within me for Your Glory and the service of others.

Questions for Discussions

1. God Has More in You Than You See:
   • How can a person recognize and develop gifts that they may not yet be aware of, and what can prevent us from seeing our God-given potential?
2. God Can Use Your Failures and Circumstances:
   • Think about Peter’s failure and restoration. How can failure become a place of growth rather than the end of our calling? What does it mean to “get up again”?
3. Faithfulness Before Opportunity:
   • What does it mean to “start where God has placed you” and be faithful with today’s assignment? How can diligence and preparation position us for greater opportunities?
4. Your Gift Is for Service:
   • Why is it dangerous to depend on human recognition when using our gifts? How can we make our gifts available to bless others without becoming discouraged when people do not recognize or appreciate us?