WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR TALENTS?

BY PASTOR WILLIAM BOACHIE-ANSAH
TEXTS: 1Co 4:7 ¶ For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive?

Talent simply refers to a natural ability to do something well. A talented person does something with ease because he does
not exert much effort in that area. Almost everything in that field flows naturally with him. These gifts stem from in-
built tendencies or motivations given to us by God right from birth. When one becomes a Christian, the Holy Spirit
brightens the initial gifting or talents and polishes them to be used to the glory of God. Most often, each of us has a
combination of several talents, but there will usually be one or few of them which will be more pronounced. Again, there
is no person without any talents. Your positive attitude towards talent is as good as gold. THERE IS THEREFORE THE NEED
For you to act swiftly on any or all of your talents!

(i) Unlock the talent:
Talent unlocking begins from identifying a talent and putting it into good use. For this to be done effectively, there is
the need to start doing so many things. You cannot know the things you can do if you continue to always do the things you
do. There is the need to launch into the deep. Start doing new things and you will soon discover other capabilities in
your life.

(ii) Maximize the talent:
Maximizing your talents means operating at the highest capacity. This simply means that you should find more innovative
ways of doing the things you do with the view to making it more easier than it used to be. Again, no talents should be
allowed to go waste or untapped.

(iii) Build upon the talents:
This means you use your talents to explore other opportunities. There should be a transfer of skills from a well known
field to another. Transfer the experience you have gained in the continual operation of a talent into another viable
field. A good classroom teacher, for instance, could become a good preacher if he is capable of transferring his classroom
skills to the pulpit.

Take note that some people around you may also serve as your talents, providing what you lack if you are able to identify
and team up well with them. Inn other words, you  The following are typical instances in the Bible:
             (a)   Moses and Bezaleel:  Bezaleel became a talent for Moses, filling the architectural deficiencies of
Moses, (Ex. 35:30, 35; 36:1-2)
             (b)   Joseph and Pharaoh :   Joseph also became a talented asset not only for Pharaoh but all of Egypt. He
was able to save the nation with his vision administrative competence, (Gen. 41: 25, 32-45).
        
(iv) Praise God for the Talents:
Acknowledge God as the one who endowed you with all your gifts. Don’t boast of your capabilities; give glory to God for
all that you can do; and use your talents to the benefit of His children and church. “…Now if you did indeed receive it,
why do you boast as if you had not received it?

Leaders should take note that it is expected of them not only to use their talents. They should also be able to help their
followers to identify their talents, and to maximize their use and motivate them to continue to use them in order to
ensure maximum production in God’s Kingdom business.

CONCLUSIONS
• All talents must be used in such a way that they bring glory to God, the one who invested them in us.
• Natural talent can be maximized, and that without further effort, natural talent will be wasted.
• Low mentality syndrome can paralyze natural talent. This therefore calls for a better self esteem and personal
style.
May the Lord who created you and