Open God's Gift

"To one He gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability…” ~ Matthew 25:15 (NASB)

How would you feel if you gave someone a gift, something that you knew that they needed, but they never opened it, and therefore never put it to use? I think I would be a little disappointed and probably consider them to be ungrateful. I believe that God feels the same way about us.

God has given us many gifts; our lives, our children, and our finances just to name a few. We are called to be good stewards of the many gifts that we have been given. More importantly we are supposed to be faithful with these gifts and use them to bring glory and honor to the Kingdom of God. He has also given us talent as a gift. Talent is our natural God-given ability. We are to use our talent(s) first and foremost to serve Him, then to serve others, ultimately serving ourselves.

If you have not opened your gift yet, do not worry, there is no “use it or lose it” policy here. What God has given you cannot be taken away, it cannot be revoked. It will be there for you use when you decide to open it.

“For the gifts and the calling of God is irrevocable.” ~ Romans 11:29 (NASB)

When researching this topic I was surprised to learn that there are approximately 40 definitions of the simple 4 – letter word “Open”, according to Merriam Webster online. I would encourage you look up the word and explore the meanings for yourself. But the meaning that resonated with me the most was: “available to follow or make use of”. This hit home for me because I recognized that I had a gift, the ability to write, when I was a little girl. I discovered this probably around the 3rd grade, but for many years I never truly made use of it.

Over the years I have always written for various occasions and was often called on by family and friends to write things for them. But what I didn’t realize until very recently was that this was a God given gift that I had not fully opened, because I was not using it for the purpose it was intended; to glorify Him and serve others.

“Be sure to give the Lord the best portions of the gifts given to you.” ~ Numbers 18:29 (NLT)

If you are not familiar with the parable of the talents in the Bible, I would recommend reading it so you can learn more about what God desires for us to do with the gifts and talents that he has given us. That story can be found in Matthew 25:15. It is a great read.

My vision for this blog is that it becomes a vehicle for me to honor God with one of the many talents that God has given me, the ability to write. Before I began my journey to truly “know” God, my voice had been mute. I have always had something that I wanted to say, something that I wanted to write, but I could never find the words. Once I committed and submitted myself to discovering God’s purpose for my life, sharing my testimony, the words began to flow with ease. Finally, I had opened God’s gift.

“For I will give you wisdom in what to say and I will help you say it.” ~ Luke 21:15 (NLT)

It is my hope that the words that appear on this blog website uplift, inspire, and encourages others. A friend of mine often uses the phrase “be blessed by being a blessing”. The by-product of honoring God, and serving others, is that you will also be blessed. It is also my hope that when I stand before God to give an account for what I've done with ALL that He has given to me, I will hear Him say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." ~ Matthew 25:23 (NLT)

If you have not discovered your talent, the gift that God has given you, go back to that time and place when you were a child on Christmas Eve. Remember when you could not sleep because you were so anxious to tear open the gifts and see what your parents had given you? Your Father, God also has also given you a gift. A talent, that is wrapped neatly, sealed with a bow, and tucked away deep inside your heart. He is waiting for you to open it. I encourage you to open it. Do not rest until you open it. In fact, I dare you to open it and see what’s inside. Your spirit will begin to find peace when you discover how you can use what God has given you to make a difference and be a blessing to someone else. It’s never too late.

Remember you are not alone.

Embrace and enjoy the journey….

God Bless!