My friend, short time. The dismantling of the world. The truth is laughed at. Sin is on sale. Everything feels unstable when it’s stable. And deeper, most of us feel it. Do we live on our last day? Of course we are not here to set dates or draw charts because no one knows “days and times” (Matthew 24:36). Nevertheless, we are permitted to understand the season of his return. When signs scream and darkness thickens, you don’t need prophecy experts to say it’s not business as usual.
It’s time to wake up, show up and use what God has given us.
You were talented at this time
As followers, we are not going to sit down and see things fall apart. We are here – within the thickness of it, we build good things, speak with a sincere heart, love bravely, and make it appear when it is difficult. This is my job. We will be part of the repair here.
Do you remember Esther? You were born in this age (Esther 4:14).
God has given us gifts to each of us. every. single. One.
If you are in Christ, you have a spirit. If you have a spirit, you have a gift. And if you have gifts, it’s time to use them. You now have something that both our fellow Christians and unbelievers need. And it’s not buried deep. It’s already in your hands. Encouragement. pray. create. reading. give. listening. Serving. Whatever it is, it’s time to use it.
There is no bench in the body of Christ
Christianity is not an audience sport, and it is not at all. The ministry is not reserved for those with Mike and Tiktok/Instagram followers. And most importantly, God does not have a bench for you. He placed you there. You are not here to survive the chaos. You are here to thrust it with truth, grace, and with strength. And he has given you everything you need to thrive in these dark times.
You are part of your body. In other words, if it doesn’t work, something is missing. We know what happens when parts of our bodies stop working. The church is the same. If you fill your gift, your body will limp.
Our gifts can be the answer to someone else’s deepest needs. So, if it leaves us not at our fears, distractions or hesitation, we will not be able to do the work it was intended to do. We weren’t just made to get through. We are here to live with purpose and breathe meaning into our lives, even the smallest acts.
Let’s wait for perfection
There is no perfect moment.
Courage does not come before obedience. It often goes through it. There’s no need to wait to step into your goals. You need to say “Yes.”
Yes to lead that Bible study.
Yes, to serve that neighbor.
Yes to coach that teen.
Yes, we will start, build, speak and award.
Do we feel small? good. That means we are ready.
The best heroes in the Bible did not feel qualified. Moses uttered. Jeremiah was too young. Peter was impulsive. Timothy had TI disease. Paul had a past.
God is not looking for SW Walk. He searches for surrender.
If we wait until it feels powerful, we will never move. But if we trust the power of the person who called us, we do more than we can imagine.
We should realize that God uses ordinary people to do great things. Why is that so? So the glory is not him, but him.
Think of David the Shepherd. Peter, fisherman. Esther, an orphan. Ruth, a widow of simple means.
Use it before you lose it
Jesus told a parable about a servant who was given “talents.” Resources to the steward while the master is away. Two of them invested what they were given. Some buried him out of fear. When the Master returned, he did not repent anyone who tried. He condemned those who did nothing (Matthew 25:14-30).
The core of the problem?
Filling your gifts won’t protect them. It wastes them. And in these times, we can’t afford to waste anything.
How do you know God-given talent?
That was also confusing me. But this is what I learned. If I work on anything with the skills God has given me, it always leaves me with a sense of peace, a deeper sense of purpose.
So, after using your skills, if you leave you with that deep, quiet kind of peace, like the balm of your soul, then it is your God-given talent. But there’s another box… Does it praise God? Does the output of your work reflect the values taught in the Bible? Then we can say for sure, that’s the talent you have been blessed with.
So be bold enough to use what is already in your hands. That’s where your purpose lives and breathes. Stop throwing away what you are quietly superior and start using the skills that give you peace that will settle deep within your soul, the talent that will make you shine.
But God limits us to stay humble and encourages us to depend on his strengths, like Paul.
“I may certainly not be trained as a speaker, but I know. We have made this completely clear to you in every way.” 2 Corinthians 11:6 niv
Paul was given knowledge of the Bible. That was his God-given talent. But he was not the most eloquent speaker. So, if the tools needed to exercise your God-given skills are a little constrained, you should understand that it will stumble your heart, your heart will feel rattle and God will invite you to trust him. So, make sure that some restrictions and obstacles do not prevent you from doing God’s work.
What is holding you back?
Fear of failure?
Fear of people?
Fear of not being “sufficient”?
They are real. But they are also lies. The same spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in us. We are not going to carry the pressure to save the world. We intend to remain true to some of it.
Who should I serve?
And you might ask, “You should serve with the skills God has given me.” I wondered the same thing. And the sooner the question appeared, the more the answer appeared. Initially, it was people from my circle. And it stretches to pagan worshipers, people who are digging into magic, and atheists I engaged and discuss online.
So, who will serve with the skills you have?
Who is in front of you? Often it is your nears-kind, friend, or your circle. Then God will faithfully serve you with the talent that blessed you, so God will move you beyond that little circle.
I shine for Jesus
We live in a generation that is entertained, distracted, informed and overwhelmed, but rarely changes. People are scrolling through hopes of the past, numbing pain, and chasing their identity in a thousand directions. The noise seems to deaf. The lies are constant.
What is the solution?
It’s not a bigger opinion. It’s not a trendy church.
But the followers appearing – Claire, kind, stable, spirit-filled, unwavering loyalty.
Those who use what they have are where they are, without an apology.
Live as if he’ll always come back. Because he is. The judge is at the door. The king is back. And when he comes, he doesn’t ask how big your gift is. He asks: Did you use it? Did you like it a lot? Have you finished the race?
How does it look like using your gift?
What does “use your gift” mean in this world?
It might look like this:
Clarity of a culture of confusion. Perhaps your gift is teaching or identifying it. Use it patiently and boldly speak the truth.
Kindness in the climate of abuse. If you have mercy or encouragement, lean on it. Hunger for compassion.
Bold leadership when people are afraid to stand. Lead with humility and courage – not for strength, but for service.
Creativity to turn to God. A gift for writing, music, art, storytelling – don’t waste trying to get viral. Use it to turn people home – God, in our place of rest.
The fundamental generosity of an age of rarity. Give with joy, whether you are loaded or simply alive. If it is given with a heart filled with love and thanksgiving, there is no small gift.
So let’s go:
I encourage it to break.
Share the Gospel of Salvation with the unbelievers.
Like an eternal problem.
Serve as you only have today.
The danger of not using your God-given talent
Let’s remember the consequences of not using our talents in advancing God’s Kingdom.
In his wrath, God harshly rebuked the negligent workers. (Matthew 25:26). When we come face to face with God, it’s a responsibilities we don’t want to hear.
“But from those he does not have, even what he has, he is taken away, and he throws a worthless servant into the darkness outside. In that place there is a cry of teeth and a cry of his mouth.” Matthew 25:29-30 niv
And what is the reward for using our talent? God adds more skills to our arsenals and increases the blessings that He has already been blessed with us as he serves us.
As it is written, “More things will be given, and there will be abundant in him” (Matthew 25:29 NIV).
My zealous wish for all of us believers is that when that fateful day arrives, the words we may hear from him the moment he turns to us.
“Well done, a good and faithful servant!” Matthew 25:23 NIV
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Nina Strehl
