I remember when I was a little kid, I used to watch the stock car races and think to myself, man, that is so cool. I used to say that when I grew up I wanted to be a professional driver. Then one day, as an adult, I was driving at my job and realized, hey, I AM a professional driver just like I used to say I wanted to be as a small child. No, I wasn't a race car driver, but I was a professional driver nonetheless; and with a special license to prove it. I had a dream fulfilled without even realizing it.
Another thing I used to want to be as a child was a holy man. I got that idea from the show Kung Fu. Now, as an adult I AM a holy man.... just not a chow lin priest. Instead I am an ordained minister. As created beings, we are given talents and desires. God does not create everyone to be the same, so each individual has their own sets of skills and interests. The intent of these is to in some way serve Him. All too often we tend to use our skills and abilities to serve ourselves.
In Mathew 25 we see the parable of the talents. While the parable was about money and what each person did with the monies they were given, I think it also applies to those talents and interests we are given too. It is nicely convenient that the word talent got used.
In the parable, each man got an amount of talents. The guy with 5 went out and did something with his talents. The guy with two did the same. The guy with one talent though hid his talent away. He did not use his talent. The other two were rewarded for using their talents and aquiring more. The one who hid his talent away? well, He lost his talent and it was given to another. Then, verse 30 " And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Paul bring up a persons talents and interests, or gifts as they are often called, in I Corinthians 12.
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
While these are ministerial gifts in the church, the point is made about how we are each given a particular set of gifts for a purpose and a reason, and if we develop those gifts, we can be a blessing to the entire body of believers, and beyond to the unsaved as well.
If you have an interest in something, follow it through. Where do you think that interest came from? God put it in your heart. It just did not come from nowhere. Same thing if you have a particular skill that you seem to have an interest and talent in. Hone that skill. You were given that ability for a reason. David says, (Psalm 37:4) Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. This is not saying that you will get something you want necessarily, but it is saying that you will be given what to want and the desire to pursue it.
Now, make no mistake... these can be perverted as well. A person may have been given a gift to play guitar, for example, but it does not mean that gift was there so you could be a rock and roll idol living the sex and drugs lifestyle. Yahweh gives you a talent so that you can use it in service to Him, not to lift up yourself and serve sin.
You can also deny and hid your talent as the man in the parable did, and we see what happened to him. his talent was taken away and given to another. Did you know god will do that? The things that he had wanted you to do, he will give to another to do if you are not willing to go out and do it yourself. God's plan is not stopped by your unwillingness. He'll just give it to someone else who WILL do what god wants. All YOUR rewards will go to another.
And remember this too, be patient. You may have a talent and you want to use it, and use it now. It may not be the time though. We have to wait for God's time, not our own. If we try to do things on our own, we'll screw it up. Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. While we are waiting, learn, practice, work. That way, when the time is right, you will be ready to meet whatever task it is the Lord has assigned for you.
Don't let you talents and interests go to waste. Don't hide them away. Embrace them, pursue them. They are a gift from the creator to you.
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