Dear Small Church Pastor,
(This one is a spiritual exercise as much as it is a letter.)
Another indicator in determining your priorities is where you invest your talents (skills, abilities, God-given spiritual gifts). You haven’t just learned knowledge that you can utilize. You also have innate, natural abilities that come to you from your genetic makeup. And the Holy Spirit has gifted you with one or more spiritual gifts as described in the New Testament letters. All these combine to create a long list of talents you possess.
Here are the questions you know are coming—How are you using your talents? Where do you invest your knowledge and skills? Have you shared your spiritual gifts with others to their benefit?
Take a quick inventory. What skills do you possess? What specialized knowledge? What spiritual gifts?
Well, what are they? I challenge you to make a list of what your talents are. Go ahead. Make an honest list. Take a few minutes and write them down.
Now that you have the list, what talents would you like to add to the list? Write those down, too.
How many of these talents are being used to bring glory to Jesus? How many of them are strengthening the body of Christ? How many of them are “the better gifts” that are designed to encourage and build up other disciples?
At this point, it would be good for you to talk to the Holy Spirit and ask to be given the gifts He has available for you because scripture says He will give them out according to His will and His choice. Then ask Him to help you develop any new gift He decides to give you and any new skill/knowledge He opens the door for you to acquire.
Look at that list! You are talented! You have skills! You have knowledge! You have spiritual gifts!
Use your talents to benefit the Kingdom of God. If you are using some of them for other reasons than benefitting God’s Kingdom, ask yourself what those reasons are. Then pray about the reasons that may not be helping others to get closer to God. Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance if you believe you need to redirect some of your talents. Ask God to show you how to use your talents best for your own growth, for our family’s future and for the advancement of the body of Christ.
Remember, you will invest your talents into your priorities.
Sincerely,
A Small Church Pastor