Use the Gifts God Has Given You

God gives gifts to be used, not put on a shelf and stared at. The shoes picture makes the point plain: a gift that cannot be worn, used, and taken into the world is not being received the way a gift is meant to be received. Matthew 25 puts believers in the place of servants entrusted with the Master’s resources. The first two servants took what they were given and multiplied it, but the third servant let fear make him bury what belonged to the master.

Spiritual gifts are not trophies for spiritually impressive people. Spiritual gifts are grace gifts, given for serving others and giving God the glory. First Peter 4 says that every gift is to be used well, whether it is speaking, helping, serving, teaching, giving, leading, showing mercy, healing, wisdom, discernment, or any other ability the Spirit supplies. The church works because everybody does not have the same gift. One may preach, one may serve, one may encourage, one may give, and none of those gifts are less important than another.

God gives gifts freely. The Spirit decides who receives what, and no amount of money, striving, or trying to look spiritual can buy the power of God. Simon wanted power for his own glory, but his heart was not right. Humility keeps a gift in its proper place, because the vessel is never supposed to take credit for what God does through it.

God also gives good gifts. The Father does not hand out second best, useless things, or gifts meant to harm His children. Gifts may take time to learn, and people may sometimes miss the mark, but God gives grace and another opportunity. Prayer, the Word, worship, and obedience help a believer understand how God wants a gift used.

Fear is one of the biggest things that keeps a gift buried. The enemy wants to rob believers of their place, their purpose, and their willingness to say yes when the Holy Spirit nudges them. Second Timothy calls believers to fan into flames the gift of God, because God has not given a spirit of fear and timidity, but power, love, and self-discipline.

Love has to be the root of every gift. First Corinthians 13 says that prophecy, knowledge, faith, sacrifice, and even great acts of power are nothing without love. God gives gifts out of love so that Christ can be seen in a dark world. The gifts are for people outside the four walls, for the hurting, the lost, and the person God puts right in front of a willing vessel.

---

Key Takeaways

• 1. Gifts are meant to be used
  Spiritual gifts are not meant to sit dormant like something hidden away in a drawer. God entrusts believers with abilities that can bless people and grow His kingdom. Faithfulness begins by using what has already been placed in a person’s hands. Small acts of obedience can become much bigger when God breathes on them. [49:12]
• 2. Humility keeps God in the glory
  Spiritual gifts are gifts of grace, not rewards for being impressive. Pride turns a vessel into somebody trying to stand on a pedestal, but that pedestal will not hold. God works through people, but the power and the credit belong to Him. Humility protects both the gift and the person carrying it. [58:11]
• 3. Fear buries what God gave
  Fear asks, “What if this is wrong?” when the Holy Spirit says, “Go speak to that person.” That fear can keep a word unspoken, a prayer unprayed, and a hurting person untouched. God gives power, love, and self-discipline instead of timidity. Obedience does not require having every answer before taking the first step. [1:15:46]
• 4. Love gives every gift its purpose
  Gifts without love become noise, even when they look powerful on the outside. Love keeps ministry from becoming a show and turns it into a real expression of Christ. The lost do not just need somebody to display a gift. The lost need to encounter the love of God through somebody willing to be used. [1:21:08]
• 5. Fan the gift back into flame
  A gift can grow dim when it is neglected, but God can stir it up again. Prayer, Scripture, worship, service, and simple obedience put fuel back on the fire. God can revive a gift that has been laid down for a season. The Holy Spirit still wants willing vessels who will say yes. [1:17:25]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [43:45] - When God Gives a Gift
• [44:28] - The Shoes on the Shelf
• [46:24] - The Parable of the Talents
• [49:12] - Gifts Are for God’s Kingdom
• [50:48] - Spiritual Gifts for Serving Others
• [51:36] - Motivational and Ministry Gifts
• [55:04] - Manifestation Gifts of the Spirit
• [56:38] - Gifts Are Given Freely
• [58:11] - Humility With Spiritual Gifts
• [1:04:13] - God Gives Good and Perfect Gifts
• [1:09:25] - Gifts Must Be Shared
• [1:15:46] - Overcoming Fear and Fanning the Flame
• [1:19:23] - Gifts Given and Used in Love
• [1:24:22] - Ask God to Reveal Your Gift

Bible Reading

Matthew 25:14-30
“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” [46:34]

1 Peter 4:10-11
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” [50:59]

2 Timothy 1:6-7
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” [01:17:00]

Observation questions

1. In Matthew 25:14–30, what did each servant do with what the master entrusted to them, and how did the master respond to each one? [46:47]
2. According to 1 Peter 4:10–11, what are gifts meant to accomplish, and where is the glory meant to go?
3. What reasons did the third servant give for hiding the master’s money, and what does his response show about his view of the master? [47:58]
4. In 2 Timothy 1:6–7, what are believers told to do with God’s gift, and what has God given in place of fear and timidity? [01:17:00]

Interpretation questions

1. The servants received different amounts, yet the first two received the same affirmation for faithfulness. What does this show about how God measures faithfulness rather than comparing believers to one another? [58:58]
2. Why is it important that 1 Peter says gifts are given to serve others and bring glory to God? What can go wrong when a person uses a gift mainly to gain attention or praise? [58:11]
3. The third servant’s fear led him to do nothing. What are some ways fear, comparison, or fear of making a mistake can still keep believers from serving people today? [01:15:39]
4. Why does love need to be the root of every spiritual gift? How would a gift used without love affect the person receiving it and the witness of the church? [01:21:15]

Application questions

1. What ability, burden, interest, or opportunity might God have already placed in your hands that you have been tempted to leave “on the shelf”? What would it look like to use it this week for someone else’s good? [49:12]
2. Have you ever sensed a nudge to encourage someone, pray for someone, help with a need, or speak about Jesus, but held back because you thought, “What if I am wrong?” What could a faithful next step look like if that happens again? [01:16:03]
3. Is there a gift or area of service that once felt alive in you but has grown dormant? How could prayer, Scripture, worship, serving, or simple obedience help fan that gift back into flame? [01:19:23]
4. Where are you most likely to compare your contribution to someone else’s gift—perhaps serving, giving, teaching, leading, or speaking? How can you thank God for the different gifts in the body rather than seeing your own as less important? [01:08:07]
5. Think about your normal places this week—home, work, school, neighborhood, or a store. Who might be right in front of you who needs the love of Christ through a practical act of service, encouragement, or prayer? [01:18:45]
6. When people notice something God does through you, how can you receive encouragement with humility while keeping the glory pointed back to God? [01:13:33]
7. What is one specific way you can use your gifts with love instead of trying to impress others—especially toward someone who is hurting, difficult, or far from God? [01:23:04]