Day 17

Using God’s Gift To You

[content_box_red width=”75%”]WOW Word of Today:  Your talent is God’s gift to you; what you do with it is your gift to God. –Leo Buscaglia, American Expert on Love, Lecturer,  Author..[/content_box_red]

Do you know what your gifts and talent are? A woman’s gift is what she has received from God, developed and returns to God through service. In other words, you are woman and a part of His gift to mankind. As women this relates to our value, uniqueness, beauty, dignity, creativity, stateliness, acceptance, resident resources, and contributions we make.

Christians all over the world use Jesus’ story of the talents to illustrate our responsibility for what we have been  given.  However,  Bible  scholars  and  ministers debate over what Jesus was referring to in his parable of the talents. The debate includes money, gifts, anointing and so on. Though I can not settle the debate I am always reminded of my life changing experience with this story years ago.

One Sunday, I listened to a minister relate the story of the talents taught using the word gifts instead of talents:

For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them, and to one he gave five gifts, to another two, and another one he gave one. He gave to each according to his own ability; and immediately went on a journey…

After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. Two of them used the gifts he gave them and it multiplied. The one that received the one gift did not use his gift and suffered a great loss.

As I listened my heart became heavy with conviction. Memories of my childhood dreams and gifts kept flashing across my mind. I saw myself over the years stuff those gifts away. They seemed so small, I didn’t think I could do anything much so I allowed them to atrophy and fade away.

I repented and asked God to forgive me. I promised if He would give me another chance and open the doors of opportunity, I would develop and use my small gifts for His glory.

Many years later, here I am writing to you in this book still developing and using those small gifts. As Jesus’ parable goes, I want my Lord to come back and find my gift multiplied many times over. God changed my heart and perspective concerning my gifts.

I began to realize my responsibility for what was given to me, even if it was only one gift. Won’t you join me as I acknowledge anew God’s gifts to us and the responsibility we have to use what’s given us.

[divider_line]Insert Your Text Here[/divider_line]

21 Day W.O.R.D. Challenge Exercise

(Memorize Memory Scripture, Pray and Say it aloud throughout every day of the challenge.)

  • Memory Scripture: For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. -2 Corinthians 5:21
  • Confession: I am the righteousness of God through Christ.