In light of our gratitude to God for His “grace-gifts” and our instruction to use them for the progress and joy of others, we ought to consider practical steps toward cultivating a heart that is inclined to steward talent well.

First, reflect on the Scripture mentioned in the previous article:

”As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10)

Having considered this verse, take an honest look at your own life. Read the following devotional by pastor and author Rick Warren, and answer Warren’s primary question: “Are you using what He’s given you for the benefit of others?” (Source)

“Make the Most of Your Talents”

God has given you unique abilities, talents, and gifts. At Saddleback Church, we say they represent a person’s SHAPE — Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences. This bundle of talents is the thing God has given you that makes you who you are and sets you apart from other people.

If you think your talents are simply for you to make a lot of money, retire, and die, you’ve missed the point of your life. God gave you talents to benefit others, not yourself. And God gave other people talents that benefit you.

We’re all a part of the body of Christ, and each part matters. There are no insignificant people in the family of God. You are shaped to serve God, and he is testing you to see how you are going to use the talents he gave you.

Whether you are a musician or an accountant, a teacher or a cook, God gave you those abilities to serve others. Today’s verse says, “Each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10 NIV).

You are a manager of the gifts God has given to you. They may be great or small in your eyes, but they matter to God. “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2 NIV). When God made you, he made an investment in you, and he expects a return on that investment.

Are you using what He’s given you for the benefit of others to make the world a better place? Or are you just using those talents to benefit yourself?

When God gives you a talent, he expects you to use it. It’s like a muscle. If you use it, it will grow. If you don’t, you’ll lose it. If you have a talent but are afraid to use it, or if you get lazy and don’t use it to benefit others, you’re going to lose it. Like the parable of the ten talents in Luke 19, if you don’t use what God has given you, he will take it away and give it to someone else who will.

But if you use your talents wisely, God will give you more. If you use your time wisely, God will give you more time. If you use your energy wisely, God will give you more energy. If you use your influence wisely, God will increase your influence. God will bless your level of faithfulness.

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Among the different traditions of Christianity, there are various positions on spiritual gifts—distinct from other talents and skills given by God. Rather than enter into this discussion, let us focus once more on the purpose of these gifts and how to practically use them according to God’s plan. Consider the following excerpt from the article “When Spiritual Gifts Function as They Should,” which includes practical questions to help determine whether we are using our gifts well (Source).

“When Spiritual Gifts Function as They Should”

Why This Conversation Matters

A correct understanding of the role of spiritual gifts leads to a correct application of those gifts. Likewise, an incorrect view of the role of spiritual gifts leads to an incorrect application of those gifts. So, what does Scripture have to say about their role in the life of the individual and the Church as a whole?

In Acts 1:8, Jesus introduces the coming of the Holy Spirit to indwell believers and to empower them to walk in a way that glorifies God and builds His Church. In 1 Corinthians 13:10, Paul tells us that the gifts are not perfect but are given to the church until the time when Jesus returns, at which time the gifts will “pass away.”  Earlier in his letter, Paul says that the church “is not lacking in any spiritual gift, as we wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 1:7). Paul goes on to exhort the church in the use of gifts: “let all things be done for building up” (1 Cor. 14:26b).

The gifts are not for you ultimately; they exist to build up the church to fulfill its mission. This is important for us to note because it points to the role that gifts play in the New Testament Church: Spiritual gifts are manifestations of the Spirit for the edification of the body (1 Cor. 12:7).

How Then Should We View Spiritual Gifts?

In Romans 1:11-12, Paul writes to the church, “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.”

There is a common misconception that often accompanies this text. Paul is not saying that he wishes to give to the church or its members a spiritual gift but he means that his spiritual gifts will be used in such a way to strengthen the church. Paul wants to use how God has gifted and wired him to edify the church. He also says that he personally hopes to be built up by the giftedness of those in the church so that both his faith and theirs would be encouraged. The apostle Paul gives us both an example and a description of how the gifts are to function in the life of the body: Spiritual gifts are expressions of faith, to encourage and increase the faith of others.

Glorify God, Edify the Church

No matter which gift you are exercising, the purpose in God giving it to you is to glorify Him through edifying the church. Asking ourselves some helpful questions can help determine whether or not we are correctly applying the gifts:

• Does the use of my spiritual gifts terminate on me, or are they being used to increase the faith of others?
• When I use a spiritual gift, does it result in another believer being encouraged or confused?
• Am I seeking to build up the church or am I seeking to exalt myself?

Regardless of which gifts you believe still operate, all spiritual gifts must operate within these boundaries. Any time a gift is used to bring personal gain or glory to its bearer instead of the Giver, any time it causes confusion instead of edification, it is being misused.

Let’s not spend so much energy arguing over certain gifts that we fail to consider the bigger picture of spiritual gifts in general, both miraculous and otherwise. May we labor to gain a biblically informed understanding of how to utilize whatever gifts the Lord has imparted to us in a way that is accurate and faithful.

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Another way we can build up the body of Christ is to help others learn to use their talents well. Consider this brief video on the subject: