Discovering Your Talents and Gifts - (Finding Your Something)

Finding Your Something

Discovering your talents (your Divine Gifts) will bring you closer to understanding your purpose, your reason for being here. Discovering your talents and gifts can make you happy, content and fulfilled which in turn will make you a blessing to others.

Seek Spiritual Guidance
Because the Master of the Universe has placed these special gifts within us, it might be wise to seek His guidance to discover what they are. 

Let’s go to the Scriptures to see what the Word of God says about this.

 Romans 12: 6 - 8 (New International Version) -   We have different gifts, according to the gifts given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

I Corinthians 7: 7 (New International Version) - I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.

I Peter 4: 10 (New International Version) - Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

The Scriptures indicate that we have all been given individual, specific gifts. Trying to operate in other gifts and talents only causes frustration, stress, disappointment, depression, unhappiness, misery, dissatisfaction, anger and no passion in what we are doing. We are just simply trying to get through life, and then what? We don't feel that we have anything to look forward to and we feel that life has no purpose.

When operating in our God given gifts, we are happy and fulfilled. Our gifts and talents ultimately help others and can be a real blessing to them. You cannot operate properly if you are trying to be something you are not supposed to be, it’s like telling a fish to live out of water and survive.

Sometimes we find ourselves struggling against ourselves.  We find ourselves paddling upstream in our careers and in our lives and wondering why we are not going very far or very fast.  This is because we are operating outside of our gift.

Have you been ignoring the people around you (family, friends, colleague’s etc.) who are always telling you how good you are at something?  I’ll bet most of the time you just blow them off and say “ah, that’s nothing” – sound familiar?   I will go back to what I asked in the beginning.  What do you enjoy doing?  What comes easy to you?  What would you do for free?  Think about it and I can almost assure you that you have found your calling.

Discover Your Calling
Each of us has a high calling that we are obligated to follow. When we follow our calling, this brings God great glory and us great joy. The quest to discover our calling begins with four facts that we should know for certain:

 1. Our calling is embodied in our gifts, both natural and spiritual, that were given to us intentionally by divine design.

2. Our gifts come with a responsibility: "As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

 (1 Peter 4:10).

 3. Our gifts allow us to do excellent work, make our greatest contribution to the human race, and do the "good works" God had in mind when he designed us.

 4. Sometimes this is difficult. What God has in mind can be costly, inconvenient, and countercultural.  In other words, sometimes we may have to step outside of our comfort zone.

Stepping outside of our comfort zone is usually very scary for most of us but this may be just where we need to go to get to the place that we need to be.

Embrace Your Calling
I urge you to seek God’s guidance as you start to become more aware of your specific gift or talent.  You could have the gift of communication, the gift of listening, the gift of singing, building, cooking, organizing, hospitality, or even caring for hurting people and a strong desire to help them have a better way of life.   There are many, many gifts you just need to find yours.  Once you have found it, embrace it.  Don’t get distracted or start to doubt because your gift may not make you a millionaire or your gift may not make you famous or your gift seems to be a lot of work or your gift seems so insignificant.

Take stock of your talents. Don't minimize them. Don't belittle or bury them. Don't say, oh, I'm just a kidney, I'd rather be a mouth. Or I'm just a big toe; I'd rather be an eye. And of course, don't get proud and say, "Look at me. I'm a hand; look at that old toe over there." We're all needed. We're all important. And it is from the small and simple things that great things are brought to pass. Thank the Lord for the gifts you've been given, use them to the best of your abilities and God can do great things through you.

To Your Continued Success  ~ Miss Julia

JuliaGrayonLine.com

 

 

Discovering Your Talents and Gifts - What is Your Something?

Discovering Your Talents and Gifts

What is Your Something?
My favorite thing to say is that -  “Everybody came here with something”.  Some special gift, some special talent.  Many people find out early on what their ‘something’ is while others spend a lifetime trying to discover their ‘curve ball’.  Everyone is good at something.  It may be writing, singing, speaking, working with your hands, cooking, gardening, drawing etc. Some people can manage well, some are creative, some can sell, the list goes on.  When you understand what you are interested in and what you are good at, you can make fulfilling career choices and discover your major definite purpose. Think about the things that you like, the things that you really enjoy doing, the things you would do for free and chances are you will soon discover your ‘something’.

Think about where you are right now.  Do you find yourself frustrated with life? Do you feel like a fish out of water? Do you long for peace and happiness?  If any of these describe you in any way I urge you to dig deep within and examine  these questions - what profession did you choose for yourself?  Did you choose your profession because it pays well?  Did you choose your profession because your mother or father wanted you to or perhaps you are carrying on a family tradition.  Whatever you are doing for whatever reason~ ARE YOU FULFILLED?  If you are not fulfilled then ask yourself these questions -  What are your dreams?  What makes you happy?  What do you enjoy doing?  These are areas you need to really explore.

So How Do You Know What Your Gifts and Talents Really Are?

Take a few minutes to think about yourself. You already possess many abilities, things you accomplish without even thinking about it, without effort. Many things you have learned and mastered are now easily achieved. What talents of yours have been fully activated? These are the talents you use routinely, things you can do easily.

Make a list of everything you can do easily and things you really enjoy doing. There is no limit to how long your list should be.  You may find 5-10 or 20-30 items on your list.  You may be surprised to learn about all of the abilities and qualities that you already possess. You will also discover that you have more than your obvious, visible talents, you also have stored talents. These stored talents are talents you know you have but you are not using them. Now you may have excuses for not using them like,  “I’m too busy, I don’t dare to, I’m not sure if I’m good enough at that, I’m afraid to make a fool of myself, I’m too old to start that now,” and so on.  Sound familiar?  However, another reason may be that you fear your life might well take a totally different turn when you start focusing on this talent of yours!

It’s possible that you alone are aware of your talent for singing or acting. Maybe you’re a writer in disguise. But you’re afraid to come forward out of fear. You are afraid that you’re not good enough after all, or that you would have to quit your current way of living when you are truly “discovered!”

Review Your List of Talents

This list that you created of your talents contains your key talents. Key talents are qualities that are outstanding  that you are known for, qualities that are so typical for you that, if one took them away from you, you wouldn’t be the same person anymore. What are these talents or qualities? Can it be your enthusiasm, your communication skills, your creative skills, your sensitivity, your organizational talents, your brilliant voice, your expertise in a given area or what? What talents do you have that are such a big part of your identity that your friends cannot imagine you without them. These are the most visible and outstanding. What are you known for? What would your friends say about you if they had to describe you in just a few words?

These key talents and qualities are your gifts (from God) the core of your mission on earth. They are the purpose of your life. Discovering your talents (your Divine Gifts) will bring you closer to understanding your purpose, your reason for being here.  Discovering your talents and gifts can make you happy, content and fulfilled which in turn will make you a blessing to others. 

To Your Continued Success  ~

Miss Julia

JuliaGrayOnLine.com