by Rev Douglas Brauner

Using our God-given gifts and talents.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.”
Romans 12:6a New Living Translation

This farmer is out standing in his field.

The Demonstration Garden, Monument Valley Park, Colorado Springs

Okay, that’s an old pun, but it’s what I thought of when I took this picture.

This sculpture reminds us that we all have special gifts and talents. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish what is a spiritual gift and what is a talent. Maybe we make too much of a distinction between the two. Whether we call it a talent or spiritual gift, its origins are in the heart of God.

My father was a gifted artist. He gave me a way of seeing the world that I try to capture with my camera. Yet, he was also a merciful man who spent time showing compassion to widows at church. He was outstanding in his use of his God-given gifts and talents.

My father-in-law was a gifted farmer. He taught me to be a good steward of the land. Yet, he was also a faithful man…faithful to God, his family, and his friends. He was outstanding in his use of his God-given gifts and talents.

God has graced you and me with gifts and talents.

Maybe we ought to treat these gifts as the sign declares in this picture. Maybe we ought to consider them as heirlooms. Heirlooms are precious. We treat them with honor. We care for heirlooms differently than we do other items, because they are precious.

Whether it’s a spiritual gift, or a talent, the abilities we have come from God and he calls us to use them well. What does that look like? The most obvious answer is that we USE his talents, and gifts, that have been graciously given to us through his Son, Jesus Christ. However, it also means entrusting these gifts back into the hands of the one who has given them to us, for God alone gives growth to that which rises in his field.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado