Tuesday; November 20

          When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christian church in Ephesus he spent part of his time discussing unity.  One interesting section of the passage is how he calls them to be unified in spite of their diversity.  At one point he noted, “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ ...” (Ephesians 4:11-12).  As we read this section, two things are apparent – we all have different talents, but every one of us has a talent.  While this is a simple concept to understand, the problem comes in its application.  Specifically, what is our talent?  We understand that we are supposed to have one – but, how do I determine mine?  It would be nice if we all came with a label that stated our talent, but since we don’t how do we determine what we can do for the Lord?
          This question has challenged believers for years, but I think there is a way we can focus on our talent:
1)  We should understand our ability.  It is easy to rely upon an “awe, shucks” humility and never hone in our talent; but, for a minute, let’s set aside our humility and ask what can we do well.  What am I good at?  An honest answer to this question can lead us on the first steps of the journey to discover our talent.
2)  We should feel our passion.  What excites us?  When we reflect upon those things that get us fired up – what comes to mind?  Our talent will never reach its potential without our zeal. 
3)  We should see the opportunities.  If the Lord expects us to be active He will also provide us with the opportunity to use our abilities.  Let’s pay attention to the doors we find open.
          We all have the opportunity to make a difference.  Do we believe it?  Are we willing to explore it?
          Think About It!

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