God gives proportionate gifts to fulfill His plans for us, as Jesus illustrated in the parable of the three servants. Matthew 25:14 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. 15 He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. [1]
As Jesus told the parable, each person was allowed to make the most of their silver. Two use it appropriately in the parable, while the last person buried the silver in the ground. God gives us choices on how to use our gifts in life.
You may wonder why you did not receive a particular gift, but we must be satisfied with our gifts, knowing the Lord’s plan for our life is perfect, including the gifts He does or does not give us. There is no greater planner than the Lord, who plans our lives so we can be the most fulfilled.
Psalm 139:16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. [2] Long before you were born, the creator of the universe knew what He wanted your life to be about and would give you the gifts to fulfill that excellent plan. How we use the gifts the Lord gives us impacts our lives and everyone around us.
Will We Seek the Lord for His Plans?
Have you ever tried to put a kit together and, after frustration, decided to get out the directions? Life is sometimes like that. The Lord has given us a life to be used to glorify Him, but we sometimes don’t want to look to Him for guidance. Paul tells us that the Lord has a beautiful plan for your life.
Romans 12:2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. [3] As we seek the Lord for His plan for our lives, we find that the Lord has given us gifts to carry out His plan. Our gift mix is unique because God’s plans for each person differ as we build His Kingdom.
God’s Gifts are Keys to His Plan for Your Life
My aunt had a gift for music, including playing by ear. She spent almost fifty years as a church organist, sharing her musical gifts with others. The gifts the Lord gives us are not for ourselves but for others. A friend had the incredible gift of compassion and used his gift in pastoral ministry to care for others. Your gifts may be organization, hospitality, listening, speaking, teaching, etc.
Often, we don’t think our gifts are gifts from God because they are easy for us. Take time to reflect on the gifts the Lord has given you, realizing the Lord has given you specific gifts to fulfill the plan He has for you to make the world a better place. To learn how God gives proportionate gifts, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/parable-of-the-three-servants
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.