The Power Of Gifts and Talents

My husband loves martial arts. He is a student of the Wing Chun self-defense method–the same method Bruce Lee learned and Robert Downey Jr. practices today.

I watch my husband practice his form and talk about the history constantly. He loves it, and can’t wait to go to the next class. I think that’s, in large part, because of the man who owns the school. He teaches with this immense passion, and knows the history to back it up.

But this incredible knowledge goes far beyond fighters and form. There’s religious history, military history and even political history.

Last week, my husband and I sat down with him and a few other people to discuss a book by Ravi Zacharias. I sat in awe as he recounted different points in history and related them back to the topic of discussion.

That was one thing I could never do. For me, remembering the events was hard enough.

As we were packing up to leave, the owner of that martial arts school said something that resonated with me. I’m paraphrasing here, but he basically said he was amazed at how some people can do things that leave his mind boggled. We went on to talk about the giftedness of interior designers and composers.

He had no idea that he had boggled my mind with his gift of gab and his grasp of theology and the past. I saw God at work when he spoke about our yesterdays. I heard a confidence and a boldness that jolted like a powerful punch. He was operating in a gift.

And I believe God gives us the power to speak boldly through our gifts.

I hear that boldness when my husband talks about art, design and brand management. I hear it when my eldest sister-in-law talks about video production, and my youngest sister-in-law talks about management and event planning. My mother-in-law finds it easy to be daring while working with others or designing their spaces while my father-in-law breathes music. I know others who find fearlessness in ministry, in storytelling, in business, in raising their children or teaching someone else’s.

Our areas of gifting give us a sphere of influence that leaves minds boggled and inspired.

They give us voices–strong ones.

I hear those voices every day.

They tell me that we are all different. We all have strengths. They also tell me that those strengths can be used in some way, and we owe it to ourselves to find out how. But much more than that, we owe it to God.