Giving Thanks

Dear Worshippers,

I began to explore the idea of talents and gifts last week. I talked about how if we call certain things we have an aptitude for or are good at gifts, this implies there is a giver. I encouraged you to think of your abilities as talents, and told you this week we would begin to consider how we identify our talents.

As I reflected on this it occurred to me that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I am planning services now that will highlight this response to God is this most Christian of seasons. The world has not been able to crack the code on how to commercialize this one yet. Praise the Lord for that!

As you think about what talents you have been blessed with, one easy way to begin to identify them is to think about what you are most thankful to God for, and what others seem to thank God for about you. For example, I was talking with someone today who has the gift of encouragement. This person also has the ability or talent of listening well. This is a good match for someone with encouraging gifts. This person was listening to me and encouraging me as I shared some things with them. As the conversation wound down, I affirmed his encouragement as a gift from the Lord, and his use of it a blessing to me and a delight to the Lord.

It was not the first time I had told this person thanks for using that gift and talent, but they seemed surprised that I identified it. Actually, he has each time. I think it is genuine humility at work here, but I was surprised that this person seemed taken aback by my acknowledgement of their use of God’s gifting in them. I think many people are unaware of their gifting and talent.

Think about yourself for a minute. What are you thankful about when you evaluate your life? Are you thankful that you enjoy helping others? That you seem to have a knack for organizing? That people really enjoy being with you? That you are always thinking about how to include more people in what you are doing? Or any other number of talents.

Identifying your talent is the first step toward making it into a strength. Once you identify your talent, then you can begin to make investments in it and allow the Lord to make it into a strength. If you don’t, you are not being a good steward.

Often times we focus on what we are not good at, and work on these areas. There is profit in that discipline. But we might gain a higher return on our investment if we start with something that we are already good at or really enjoy doing.

Think on that these days and determine as you approach Thanksgiving what talent you are going to thank God for…and invest in through the end of the year.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott