Has anyone ever asked you what your talent is? Or more specifically, what your best talent is? What makes you different? Is there something that is unique about you? Do you have something that sets you apart from somebody else?
We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith. ~ Romans 12:6 +++
Some people have the talent of an athlete and they can play sports so well that they can become a professional. Some people have that knack to be able to stand up in front of a crowd and deliver a great speech or sermon. And we all probably know of an acquaintance who always seems to have the ability to make the seemingly right decisions at the right time and with that talent they are deemed successful in whatever they choose to do. And then there always seems to be that certain someone who has the talent to get under our skin and they seem to thrive at irritating us and those around us.
I’m not really sure what my particular talent is even though I’m well over 50 years old and I’m still unsure what the answer to that question is. I do know that I seem to have a talent to survive; to survive so many bad things that have happened to me in my 50+ years of life here on God’s earth. Getting run over by a farm tractor before I was age 6, a series of heart attacks at age 39, a vehicle versus pedestrian hit and run at 50, diagnosed with leukemia at 53 and then skin cancer at 55. My friends are always asking me how many of my cat lives I have used up so far. So maybe that is a talent I have since others seem to have noticed something different or unique about me.
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. ~ 1 Peter 4:10 +++
So maybe I do have a talent to survive based upon all those things that I have endured. Now if that is the case I want to try to use that talent to help others. I can do that because God has blessed me with so many things in my life. He has further blessed me with a great family and wonderful friends. God has strengthened my faith with each bad thing that has happened. I want to tell people that even when things are beating us down that there is always hope. The aches and pains in this life are something that are of short duration when we give our full trust to Jesus and we repent of our sins so that we will be given the gift of grace that only He can provide us.
The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?” “I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied. The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.” The word of the Lord came to me again: “What do you see?” “I see a pot that is boiling,” I answered. “It is tilting toward us from the north.” The Lord said to me, “From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land. I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms,” declares the Lord. “Their kings will come and set up their thrones in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem; they will come against all her surrounding walls and against all the towns of Judah. I will pronounce my judgments on my people because of their wickedness in forsaking me, in burning incense to other gods and in worshiping what their hands have made. “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. ~ Jeremiah 1:4-19
I have found the Book of Jeremiah quite fulfilling and with so many great pieces of advice and the above verse is one of those that seems to have a good message for me. God knew me and knew my name before I was even born. He knew of all that would happen to me in my life whether it would be good in our eyes or bad. God has been patient with me and with the talents He has bestowed on me. God never gave up on me even when I doubted myself. And maybe someone will read what I have written and they will find hope when they never expected to ever see it again. I prayed to God for answers to why all those bad things had to happen to me. Could it be that God wanted to use me to help bring another closer to Him? Is that my talent?
Do everything in love. ~ 1 Corinthians 16:14 +++
